Ursula von der Leyen
Visited Kyiv on July 15 to launch an EU-Ukraine Defence Industrial Partnership amid a massive Russian missile-and-drone campaign that killed 25, framing Ukraine as a "net security provider for Europe." The same week she announced legally mandated age-appropriate social media limits for children and appointed a Special Representative for Cyprus.
Ursula von der Leyen is running the European Commission across more simultaneous fronts than any recent president, and this week the pace only sharpened. On July 15 she flew to Kyiv as Russia launched a massive missile-and-drone campaign that killed 25 across Ukraine, using the visit to launch a new EU-Ukraine Defence Industrial Partnership and frame Ukraine as "a net security provider for Europe." That builds on the first €3.9 billion tranche of a €6 billion drone-procurement package she released June 30 from the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan, with future disbursements set to expand to missiles, ammunition, and air defense.
She is pushing hard on two tracks at once: arming Ukraine and reshaping Europe's own defense industry. At the Ankara NATO summit she co-authored a call with Secretary General Mark Rutte for European industry to produce at scale and speed, and the summit confirmed U.S. weapons will now be manufactured on European soil. She visited Yerevan on July 2 with a €288 million package to pull Armenian trade away from Russia, and launched a Connectivity Partnership with Azerbaijan in Baku the day before, backed by up to €200 million in grants to mobilize €2 billion for Port of Baku and Nakhchivan rail.
On China, she is executing a trade-protectionist pivot mandated by EU leaders. The Commission's July 1 steel and e-commerce measures cut tariff-free steel import volumes roughly 47 percent, doubled the over-quota duty to 50 percent, and removed the €150 de minimis e-commerce exemption. The EU-China consultation mechanism launched June 29 has four workstreams and an October deadline to address a €360 billion goods deficit.
At home she is preparing formal DSA charges against Meta for addictive design targeting minors and holds the final decision on a record DMA fine against Google expected before August. On July 14 she announced legally mandated age-appropriate social media restrictions after summer, with a tiered system from zero screen time under two to autonomous access for teens and a ban on addictive features for under-13s.
The budget fight with Germany looms: Berlin is demanding a €400 billion cut to her proposed €2 trillion 2028-2034 MFF, with internal documents stating an agreement is impossible as it stands. She appointed Raffaele Fitto as EU Special Representative for Cyprus on July 13, citing renewed momentum for a settlement, after meeting Erdoğan in Ankara where Cyprus's Christodoulides conditioned any EU-Türkiye progress on movement on the Cyprus problem. Hungary's obstruction of Ukraine accession clusters has forced her to scale the goal from five to two, though she insists more clusters will open before summer.
On their plate
Visited Kyiv on July 15 amid a Russian assault that killed 25 to launch an EU-Ukraine Defence Industrial Partnership, framing Ukraine as a net security provider for Europe. This follows the June 30 release of the first €3.9B tranche of a €6B drone-procurement package from the €90B Ukraine Support Loan, with future disbursements to expand to missiles, ammunition, and air defense.
Announced the EU will introduce legally mandated age-appropriate social media restrictions after summer: zero screen time under 2, supervised access 3-12, autonomous for teens, with an EU-developed open-source age-verification app and a ban on addictive features for under-13s. The Commission is also preparing formal DSA charges against Meta for addictive design targeting minors, with penalties up to 6% of global revenue.
Executing a protectionist pivot mandated by EU leaders: July 1 steel and e-commerce measures cut tariff-free steel import volumes ~47%, doubled the over-quota duty to 50%, and removed the €150 de minimis e-commerce exemption. The EU-China consultation mechanism launched June 29 has four workstreams and an October deadline to address a ~€360B goods deficit, while Beijing rejected the measures.
Launched an EU-Azerbaijan Connectivity Partnership in Baku July 1 with up to €200M in grants to mobilize €2B for Port of Baku and Nakhchivan rail. Visited Yerevan July 2 with a €288M package for Armenia, proposing ~80% of Armenian exports tariff-free to re-route trade from Russia. Appointed Raffaele Fitto as EU Special Representative for Cyprus on July 13, citing renewed momentum for a settlement; Northern Cyprus rejected the appointment as provocative.
Germany is demanding a €400B cut to the Commission's proposed €2T 2028-2034 MFF, with Berlin's internal document stating an agreement is impossible as it stands. Chancellor Merz urged a unanimous deal within the year citing 2027 elections in France, Poland, and Italy. The standoff puts von der Leyen's spending plans under direct pressure.
Key relationships
Met at the June 19 Brussels summit where Zelenskyy pressed for fast-track EU accession; von der Leyen expressed optimism the tide is turning while proposing an EU negotiating mandate for peace talks with Russia.
Met Erdoğan in Ankara alongside Costa; Erdoğan gifted leaders revolvers at the NATO summit, and von der Leyen's spokesperson said hers would be decommissioned and donated to a military museum.
Met the Armenian PM in Yerevan on July 2 to announce a €288M economic/energy package and propose ~80% of Armenian exports tariff-free; Pashinyan affirmed EU course but rejected an EU membership referendum.
Cyprus's president is conditioning any EU-Türkiye progress on substantive movement on the Cyprus problem and separately pressing von der Leyen to expedite a comprehensive EU-Lebanon strategic agreement.
Co-authored a July 6 joint call with the NATO Secretary General for a stronger European defense industry capable of producing at scale and speed.
Launched the EU-Azerbaijan Connectivity Partnership in Baku July 1 with the Azerbaijani president, backed by up to €200M in Global Gateway grants to mobilize €2B for Port of Baku and Nakhchivan rail.
The German chancellor is demanding a €400B cut to von der Leyen's proposed €2T 2028-2034 budget, with Berlin's internal documents stating an agreement is impossible as it stands.
Met the Indian PM in Gothenburg May 17 and proposed a new India-EU investment agreement to complement the FTA, describing it as the way to walk through the door the trade agreement opened.
Hosted Kazakhstan's president in Brussels June 22-23, signing four agreements totaling $462M including road upgrades, an Air Astana-Airbus deal for 50 aircraft, and a critical raw materials lab.
Consulted the UN Secretary-General before appointing Raffaele Fitto as EU Special Representative for Cyprus, citing renewed momentum for a settlement.
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