European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen didn’t plan it this way. Von der Leyen, not knowing when they were first drafted how timely her words would be, laid out the challenge with refreshing clarity on Wednesday. Because Ukraine’s freedom is Europe’s freedom,” von der Leyen said. “This struggle, this fight, is deeply engrained in who we are as Europeans,” von der Leyen closed. Further readingImage: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 10, 2025.