European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has used her 2025 State of the Union address to call for tougher sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza, whilst pledging deeper military and financial support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, von der Leyen condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the United Nations has declared famine and warned that 500,000 people face “catastrophic” conditions.
“What is happening in Gaza has shaken the conscience of the world. People are killed while begging for food. Mothers holding lifeless babies. These images are simply catastrophic,” she said. “For the sake of the children, for the sake of humanity — this must stop.”
She described herself as “a long-standing friend of the people of Israel,” empathizing with the dire situation of hostages held by Hamas while noting that “Europe’s goal has always been the same. Real security for Israel and a safe present and future for all Palestinians,
“And that means that the hostages must be released.That there should be unrestrained access for all humanitarian aid. And that there must be an immediate ceasefire.”
To that end, the Commission president announced that Brussels would suspend all bilateral support to Israel, while continuing engagement with civil society groups and Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial. She said her executive would propose sanctions on “extremist ministers” whose rhetoric or actions incite violence, as well as “violent settlers,” and push for a partial suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement covering trade.
But von der Leyen acknowledged the political hurdles.
“I am aware it will be difficult to find majorities,” she told lawmakers. “Any action will be too much for some. Too little for others. But we must all take our own responsibilities.”
Hamas’s October 7, 2023 assault on Israel left 1,219 people dead, most of them civilians, according to Israeli figures. Israel’s military response has killed at least 64,605 Palestinians, mostly civilians, since then according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which the United Nations deems reliable.
Turning to Ukraine, von der Leyen framed Russia’s invasion as central to Europe’s future. She announced work on a 19th package of sanctions against Moscow and confirmed a new European Drone Alliance with Kyiv, backed by €6 billion frontloaded from the EU’s recovery loan facility.
“Ukraine has the ingenuity. What it needs now is scale,” she said, calling for accelerated weapons production and stronger coordination on defence. She also unveiled plans for an “Eastern Flank Watch” combining satellite and drone surveillance to protect EU borders.
“At the same time, we need more support for Ukraine. No one has contributed as much as Europe. Close to 170 billion euros of military and financial aid so far,
“More will be needed. And it should not only be European taxpayers who bear the brunt of this. This is Russia’s war. And it is Russia that should pay.” von der Learn declared.
The Commission president tied both conflicts to what she called Europe’s “Independence Moment.”
“Ultimately, it is about having the freedom and the power to determine our own destiny. That is what Ukraine is fighting for. And that is what all Europeans deserve.”