Von der Leyen sets out modest defence strategy as she bids for second term
The European Commission today unveiled a new defence industrial strategy as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen seeks to make the topic a centrepiece of her bid for a second term in office. Though the commission proposal expands existing initiatives to produce ammunition and jointly procure arms, it won’t see direct purchases of weapons or set up the €100bn fund previously promised by Commissioner Thierry Breton. “Today the European Union demonstrates again our firm determination and commitment to scale up our defence and support to Ukraine,” Breton said in a statement, saying the strate...