EU faces dangerous times, but World War III not imminent, says Von der Leyen

Europe is not on the verge of a third world war, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Belgian newspaper Le Soir in an interview.

“No, we are not moving toward a third world war, but we live in very dangerous times. I am doing everything possible to preserve peace and freedom in Europe,” von der Leyen said, urging EU countries to pursue greater autonomy in defence matters.

She added that the world has changed radically, and the European Union must respond to new challenges by demonstrating to both allies and adversaries that it is capable of defending itself.

At the same time, von der Leyen noted that establishing a common European army remains complicated, as responsibility for armed forces — from doctrine to logistics and funding — rests with individual member states.

By Khagan Isayev