President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks at Hudson Institute on October 19, 2023, in Washington, DC.

In a speech at Hudson ahead of her meeting with President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the United States and European Union need to stand in solidarity with Israel, support Ukraine for the long term, and mitigate the economic security risks posed by China.

Below are key quotes from her address and fireside chat with Hudson Senior Fellow Peter Rough.

Key Insights

1. Washington and Brussels should increase engagement in the Middle East to decrease dependence on China.

“A normalization of relations [in the Middle East] could offer peace, prosperity, and integration to a troubled region. And just weeks ago, for instance, we announced, together with our American friends, a new transcontinental corridor that would link Europe to Israel, to Jordan, to Saudi Arabia, to the Emirates, and from there to India—a corridor for trade that would help derisk all our economies, including from our overdependence on China—but also [a] corridor for data, a corridor for clean energy to create good jobs all across the Middle East. It could contribute to both growth and reconciliation between neighbors.”

2. The US and EU face a unified security threat from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.

“Iran, Hamas’s patron, only wants to fuel the fire of chaos. Russia, Iran’s wartime customer, is watching carefully. Russia and Hamas are alike. As President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy has said, ‘Their essence is the same.’ Both have deliberately sought out innocent civilians, including babies and children, to kill and take hostage. This is a barbaric way to fight. Left unchecked, this contagion has the potential to spread from Europe across the Middle East and to the Indo-Pacific. Western resolve is being tested every day by those searching for any weakness. Any success they gain will inspire more violence aimed at upending the existing order, an order that so many lives on our continents were sacrificed to create . . . and uphold.”

3. To achieve lasting peace, the US and EU need to rebuild their defense industrial bases and restore deterrence against adversaries.

“Any solution of this conflict must be a lasting one. . . . For this, Ukraine needs long-term security guarantees. Many of you will be familiar with the concept of deterrence by denial. It is the idea of providing Ukraine with the military equipment it needs to deter Russia and Russian attacks in the future. I am immensely grateful to the United States for your military support to Ukraine. You’ve given strength to the courage of Ukrainians. And I want Europe to play a central role in ensuring Ukraine’s long-term security. For this, we have to step up our defense spending and our industrial base, and we have already started. With the first investment to ramp up our ammunition production capacity, I believe that this work should happen in synergy with the United States, our oldest and strongest ally.”

Quotes may be edited for clarity and length. 

Go Deeper