Von der Leyen proposes European Security Council amid rising threats

Von der Leyen stated in her annual State of the European Union address that the forum, envisioned as a "European Security Council," is needed due to the "nature and scale of the risks at play." She highlighted the urgency of the situation, citing Russian hybrid attacks, including an attempted drone attack in Leipzig and incidents in Lithuania.

The proposal includes a "counter-hybrid playbook" and a mechanism to "flank NATO's Article 4" against threats that fall below armed aggression but clearly threaten security. Additionally, a "European Instrument for Strategic Enablers," aligned with NATO, was announced to scale up critical support assets like air defense and cyber security.

The concept of a European Security Council, which would include non-EU countries such as Ukraine, the UK, Norway, and Canada, has been discussed previously but is being prioritized by von der Leyen. She emphasized the need for a united Europe, stating, "Europe's security is indivisible."