The EU needs to speed up its push for independence to defend itself in a fast-changing world, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
"We are at a crossroads. Europe prefers dialogue and solutions – but we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination," von der Leyen said in a speech in European Parliament.
"In this increasingly lawless world, Europe needs its own levers of power," she said.
"We know them: A strong economy, a thriving single market and industrial base, a strong innovation and technology capacity, united societies and above a real capacity to defend ourselves."
