![\"Supporters](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/5109.jpg\")
Supporters of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci gather on the day he and other former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) members hear the judgment in their war crimes trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, in Pristina, Kosovo. Photograph: Valdrin Xhemaj\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\nUpdated at\u00a005.35 EDT<\/p>\n
Key events<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n 2m ago<\/p>\n Tha\u00e7i and co-defendants ‘criminally responsible’ for war crimes of detention, cruel treatment, torture, murder, ruling says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 24m ago<\/p>\n Former Kosovo president Tha\u00e7i sentenced to 25 years in prison<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 30m ago<\/p>\n ‘Current system is reaching its end,’ NR’s Bardella says in response to von der Leyen<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 53m ago<\/p>\n Von der Leyen’s offer to Canada ‘cannot be overestimated in political and trade significance’ – snap analysis<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 1h ago<\/p>\n Von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech – summary<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n EU’s ‘powerful promise’ needs new generations to ‘rediscover ability to think European,’ von der Leyen says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n ‘Glorifying war criminals has no place in the EU,’ von der Leyen says in criticism of Serbia and Mladi\u0107’s funeral<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Social media ‘depriving children of their childhood,’ von der Leyen says, as she confirms strict rules on social media<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n ‘European democracy is being threatened’ by disinformation, foreign interference, von der Leyen says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Von der Leyen says EU will draft tougher rules for emergency migration scenarios<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n EU’s von der Leyen calls Israel’s E1 settlement project ‘unacceptable’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n EU ‘will give our strongest ever support to Ukraine over the toughest winter of the war,’ von der Leyen says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n ‘Threats are mounting on our soil’ with threat from Russia growing, von der Leyen warns, as she calls for ‘European Security Council’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Von der Leyen proposes Canada to be associate member of the EU<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n ‘Some people want to backslide on women’s rights,’ von der Leyen warns<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n ‘We want AI with human agency,’ von der Leyen says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n Von der Leyen leads parliament in moving tribute to helicopter pilot who died when fighting wildfires in Greece<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 2h ago<\/p>\n ‘The hottest summer month ever, but the coolest of years to come,’ von der Leyen call for urgency on climate<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n EU’s trade relationship with China ‘unsustainable’ and need to be rebalanced, von der Leyen says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n ‘We need to electrify Europe,’ von der Leyen says, to cut fossil fuel costs down<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n von der Leyen warns against anti-European ultranationalists and Russia who ‘despise our values’<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n ‘We are now dealing with an openly hostile world,’ EU’s von der Leyen warns<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n EU ‘the strongest’ but ‘most precarious’ it has even been, von der Leyen says<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Watch von der Leyen’s SOTU live – video<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n 3h ago<\/p>\n Morning opening: The state of the European Union<\/p>\n <\/a>Tha\u00e7i and co-defendants ‘criminally responsible’ for war crimes of detention, cruel treatment, torture, murder, ruling says<\/p>\n We are now getting a bit more on the findings against Tha\u00e7i and his three co-defendants.<\/p>\n President of the Republic of Kosovo Hashim Tha\u00e7i reacts while talking to media in 2020. Photograph: Valdrin Xhemaj\/EPA<\/p>\n Here is from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor\u2019s Office:<\/p>\n \u201cThe Trial Panel found that all four Accused were criminally responsible for the war crimes of arbitrary detention against 385 individuals, cruel treatment against 49 individuals, torture against 303 individuals, and murder against 96 individuals. <\/p>\n The Trial Panel found the accused not guilty of crimes against humanity because the Specialist Prosecutor failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there was a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population. The accused were also found not guilty in connection with a number of specific incidents of war crimes.<\/p>\n The judges found that during the Kosovo conflict Mr. Tha\u00e7i, Mr. Veseli, Mr. Selimi and Mr. Krasniqi contributed significantly to the common criminal purpose of targeting perceived opponents of the Kosovo Liberation Army\u2019s political and military goals, including Kosovo Albanians associated with other political or military forces, like the LDK and FARK; individuals alleged to be associated with the FRY\/Serbian authorities; and certain members of ethnic minorities, including a number of Roma and Serbs. <\/p>\n The targeting of such opponents took the form of killings; arrests and detention without due process; physical and psychological mistreatment; as well as other forms of abuse, intimidation and harassment. <\/p>\n With limited exceptions, the Trial Panel found no evidence that any of the victims had engaged in any criminal activity, taken an active part in hostilities or presented any other legitimate security concern for the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).\u201d<\/p>\n And here is a bit more detail on Tha\u00e7i himself:<\/p>\n \u201cIn the case of Hashim Tha\u00e7i, the Trial Panel found that as a member of the General Staff of the KLA and in his capacity as the head of the Political Directorate, he was a key member in formulating and implementing the common purpose that entailed setting up detention facilities; identifying individuals perceived as opposing the KLA; arresting and detaining them; and, if necessary, killing them. <\/p>\n This included the targeting of alleged \u201ccollaborators\u201d, the setting up of a structure, competent bodies and regulations to do so, and the deployment of \u201cspecial warfare\u201d against Opponents, including through the publication of communiques and political declarations and other public statements expressing tolerance and encouragement for the commission of crimes against opponents.<\/p>\n The Trial Panel further found that Hashim Tha\u00e7i also personally participated in crimes, including the arrest, arbitrary detention and interrogation of 13 parliamentarians and the arrest, detention, transfer and murder of Behajdin Allaqi. <\/p>\n He further disseminated false information about detainees and victims of the crimes committed by KLA members, gave false assurances of compliance with international humanitarian law on behalf of the KLA, and contributed to a policy of impunity in respect of perpetrators of crimes against opponents.\u201d<\/p>\n Full summary of the judgment is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Supporters of former Kosovo President Hashim Tha\u00e7i react after he was found guilty of war crimes by the Kosovo war crimes tribunal in The Hague, in Pristina, Kosovo. Photograph: Valdrin Xhemaj\/ReutersShare<\/a>Former Kosovo president Tha\u00e7i sentenced to 25 years in prison<\/p>\n Former Kosovo Liberation Army commander and later Kosovo president Hashim Tha\u00e7i has been sentenced to 25 years in prison as he is held criminally responsible for war crimes during the violent break from Serbia in the 1990s by the international court in The Hague.<\/p>\n Tha\u00e7i had denied all charges.<\/p>\n I will bring you more on this shortly.<\/p>\n Here is the background to this story:<\/p>\n \u201cAs prosecutors presented their case against Thaci and fellow defendants Rexhep Selemi, Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi \u2013 all senior figures in the KLA\u2019s leadership during the war against Serb forces from 1998 to 1999 \u2013 they described an alleged campaign of murder, torture and repression against opponents and members of ethnic minorities directed by the four men. \u2026<\/p>\n The proceedings, deeply unpopular in Kosovo and neighbouring Albania, recall the period of brutal conflict between 1998 and 1999 where both Serbian and Kosovan armed organisations committed war crimes in the context of the KLA\u2019s armed uprising and Belgrade\u2019s military response.<\/p>\n His supporters gathered in Kosovo earlier today to listen to the verdict:<\/p>\n Supporters of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci gather on the day he and other former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) members hear the judgment in their war crimes trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, in Pristina, Kosovo. Photograph: Valdrin Xhemaj\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.35 EDT<\/p>\n ‘Current system is reaching its end,’ NR’s Bardella says in response to von der Leyen<\/p>\n The European parliament is still discussing von der Leyen\u2019s address.<\/p>\n In sharp contrast with von der Leyen\u2019s comments, the far-right National Rally president Jordan Bardella criticised her for constantly \u201cglorifying what you have done,\u201d while, in fact, \u201cthe [current] system is reaching an end.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the Europe of those who write the rules; the bureaucrats who write waste public money and make up taxes for tomorrow \u2026 and then there\u2019s the Europe that has to pay, the second Europe: those who have to pay \u20ac2.5 for a litre of petrol \u2026 they have to pay for heating, they have to pay increasing bills.<\/p>\n Europe that continues to work harder to earn less. That essentially is the state of the Union.\u201d<\/p>\n Jordan Bardella, president of the French far-right Rassemblement National, speaks after the State of the European Union address (SOTEU) in Strasbourg, France. Photograph: Yves Herman\/Reuters<\/p>\n He told von der Leyen that \u201cyour Europe is not just more expensive every year,\u201d but it also \u201cprotects us less and less,\u201d pointing to the migration crisis in Ceuta.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s look at the world around us: the war in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, Islamist terrorism, food insecurity, energy insecurity. The US is investing, China is investing, and we continue to regulate even more. <\/p>\n We\u2019re regulating things that we no longer produce. We\u2019re taxing things that we no longer know how to make. And we\u2019re also taxing things that we\u2019ve banned the production of in Europe. That is the major paradox in Europe. And that\u2019s why we need to change.\u201d<\/p>\n He called that \u201cwhen the money is European, the jobs need to be in Europe; when the money is French, the jobs need to be in France\u201d and urged the commission to \u201cget ride of red tape, these absurd and useless rules.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m bringing you these quotes as Bardella\u2019s National Rally could find itself in a very strong position in France after next year\u2019s presidential election, with Marine Le Pen leading in the polls.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Worth remembering that Mark Carney is due to address the European parliament tomorrow, so will be definitely worth tuning in to hear his take on the \u201cassociate membership\u201d idea.<\/p>\n Canadian prime minister Mark Carney waves as he is applauded as he arrives at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. Photograph: Canadian Press\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n He is scheduled to speak 11:30 local time (10:30 UK) tomorrow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Von der Leyen’s offer to Canada ‘cannot be overestimated in political and trade significance’ – snap analysis Senior correspondent<\/p>\n Ursula von der Leyen\u2019s dramatic offer to open the gate to Canada to become the EU\u2019s first ever associate member (9:54<\/a>) cannot be overestimated in political and trade significance.<\/p>\n Canadian prime minister Mark Carney shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as he attends her State of the European Union address (SOTEU) to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France. Photograph: Yves Herman\/Reuters<\/p>\n It, at once, aligns what Canadian prime minister Mark Carney called the \u201cmiddle powers\u201d in his Davos speech in January but creates an opening for a speedy enhanced trade deal particularly on critical raw materials and rare earths.<\/p>\n It also sets Canada apart from the UK which could, once upon a time, have some sort of associate membership with the EU were it not for the drive for a clean break Brexit. <\/p>\n Two points of realpolitik make it possible that the long winding road that typifies third country\u2019s relationships with the EU could turn into a high speed motorway.<\/p>\n Canada has something the EU desperately needs: rich supplies of CRM and rare earths in a bid to diversify from China which has a stranglehold on both.<\/p>\n And Europe<\/a> has something Canada urgently wants: new market for products it can no longer sell into the US in the face of a trade war with Donald Trump.<\/p>\n Looking at the bigger picture a new enhanced trade deal between the EU and Canada could leave the UK somewhat scrambling in a two speed race.<\/p>\n Keir Starmer talked about forging a CRM and rare earths deal with Canada but it never materialised.<\/p>\n If political energy in Brussels is now focused on Canada that could be bad news for Andy Burnham.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.46 EDT<\/p>\n Von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech – summary European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has warned the EU is \u201cthe strongest\u201d but \u201cmost precarious\u201d (9:16<\/a>) it has ever been as it faces \u201can openly hostile world\u201d (9:18<\/a>) as she delivered her annual State of the Union address in the European parliament in Strasbourg.<\/p>\n Von der Leyen outlined proposals for reforming the EU\u2019s single market (9:21<\/a>) and improving competitiveness and innovation (9:30<\/a>), as well as electrifying its energy market (9:24<\/a>), and rebalancing its trade relationship with partners, particularly China (9:27<\/a>).<\/p>\n In one of the most eye-catching proposals, she suggested Canada could become an associate member of the European Union (9:54<\/a>).<\/p>\n Von der Leyen also warned about the growing threat from Russia as she called for a \u201cEuropean Security Council\u201d to help countries coordinate on security issues (9:58<\/a>), as she pledged further support to Ukraine (10:04<\/a>).<\/p>\n In her wide-ranging speech, she also discussed the issue of irregular migration (10:10<\/a>) and criticised Israel for \u201cunacceptable\u201d plans for its illegal E1 settlement project (10:07<\/a>).<\/p>\n She also called for urgent action on climate preparedness as she warned Europe faced \u201cthe hottest summer months ever, but the coolest of years to come\u201d (9:34<\/a>, 9:39<\/a>).<\/p>\n Von der Leyen also confirmed plans to introduce tougher rules on social media to protect children online, including a ban for users under the age of 13, as she warned that highly addictive platforms are \u201cdepriving children of their childhood\u201d (10:20<\/a>).<\/p>\n The commission president also advocated for \u201cAI with human agency,\u201d and for Europe to explore \u201chidden\u201d value where it can capitalise on its \u201cbig advantages\u201d (9:45<\/a>, 9:48<\/a>).<\/p>\n In a pointed comment, she also criticised Serbia for last week\u2019s funeral of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladi\u0107, saying \u201cglorifying war criminals simply has no place in the European Union\u201d (10:24<\/a>).<\/p>\n European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a debate on State of the Union at the European parliament in Strasbourg, France. Photograph: Ronald Wittek\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.42 EDT<\/p>\n EU’s ‘powerful promise’ needs new generations to ‘rediscover ability to think European,’ von der Leyen says<\/p>\n Von der Leyen now talks about the EU\u2019s \u201cpowerful promise\u201d dating back from its foundation, as she calls for new generations to \u201crediscover this ability to think European.\u201d<\/p>\n The EU will create a new \u201cCongress for Europe,\u201d drawing on its origins, to get \u201cthe brilliant minds from across our union and across our continent\u201d to \u201cinspire the new generation of Europeans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe should never forget the origins of our union. So long at war, united to forge a common destiny, a destiny of peace and prosperity, of democracy and freedom. <\/p>\n They never wrote down where the destiny would finally lead. But each generation has built on the foundations of its predecessors. Step by step, brick by brick, of course, imperfections are diversity, and our differences remain.<\/p>\n But that is precisely what makes Europe, our Europe and our common home.\u201d<\/p>\n And on that point, she ends her speech to some applause from the audience.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘Glorifying war criminals has no place in the EU,’ von der Leyen says in criticism of Serbia and Mladi\u0107’s funeral<\/p>\n Switching to French now, von der Leyen says \u201cwe also have to win back the hearts of Europeans.\u201d<\/p>\n She also says the EU needs to look beyond its borders in the western Balkans.<\/p>\n She says the process \u201cwill continue on merit.\u201d<\/p>\n But she says the adherence to EU values is \u201cnon-negotiable,\u201d as she says she was \u201chorrified by the pictured from Ratko Mladi\u0107\u2019s funeral in Belgrade last week.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe committed the most atrocious crimes against humanity. Glorifying war criminals simply has no place in the European Union.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Social media ‘depriving children of their childhood,’ von der Leyen says, as she confirms strict rules on social media<\/p>\n Von der Leyen then turns to the question of online safety, particularly for children.<\/p>\n She warns that \u201cyoung Europeans now spend four to six hours a day on screens,\u201d as they \u201care pulled ever deeper into feeds designed to keep them scrolling.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we are witnessing is a great capture of our children. A capture of their attention, their focus, their minds. This is depriving children of their childhood.\u201d<\/p>\n She references the death of a 14-year-old Belgian girl, Ol\u00e9a, who killed herself as a victim of online bullying.<\/p>\n She quotes her mom who said: \u201cI am convinced that had it not been for these omnipresent networks, my daughter would still be with us.\u201d<\/p>\n Von der Leyen says \u201cenough is enough\u201d and confirms plans to bring forward \u201cthe Kids\u2019 Act\u201d with strict restrictions on social media usage by children.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will take a gradual and differentiated approach. Each age has its own sensitivities, and therefore each will have its own tailored protection level. <\/p>\n No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15. <\/p>\n That means from 13 to under 15, only mini accounts set up and supervised by parents or guardians, with limited features and time restriction to one hour a day and between 15 and 18, safe design will be an obligation for the platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n She says the EU \u201cwill not accept addictive features\u201d and \u201cchildren being drawn into ever more extreme content.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are reversing the burden of proof: now platforms will have to prove to us that they are safe because this is not about our minors accessing social media. It is about when and how do we allow social media to access our minors. Europe has the power to act. It is us who decide the rules, not big tech.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘European democracy is being threatened’ by disinformation, foreign interference, von der Leyen says<\/p>\n Von der Leyen then turns to the issue of democracy in Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n She says \u201cour European democracy is being threatened\u201d with \u201cdisinformation and foreign interference seeking to divide us, seeking to erode trust in our democratic fabric and free media.\u201d<\/p>\n She pointedly says \u201cthe threats to our democracies do not only come from the outside,\u201d as Europe sees \u201cthe rise of anti-democratic, anti-European forces.\u201d<\/p>\n But she says \u201cnothing is inevitable,\u201d as she celebrates the change in Hungary, with the new pro-EU government led by P\u00e9ter Magyar after 16 years of Viktor Orb\u00e1n.<\/p>\n \u201c12 April will stay in our memory for a very long time,\u201d she says, referencing to the election day in Hungary.<\/p>\n \u201cHungarian people took their future in their hands. They chose democracy. They chose Europe. They brought Hungary back to where it belongs, at the heart of the European Union. <\/p>\n Years of backsliding have started to be reversed. The fight against corruption and state capture is speeding up. There is real progress on fundamental rights, on academic freedom, and now billions of euros of investment in Hungary have been unlocked. There is, of course, much more work ahead. <\/p>\n But \u2026 this shows the hard work pays off.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Von der Leyen says EU will draft tougher rules for emergency migration scenarios<\/p>\n Von der Leyen then turns to migration, and not surprisingly touches upon the migration crisis in Ceuta.<\/p>\n She says \u201cvulnerable people are being exploited by callous traffickers and smugglers, by our adversaries.\u201d<\/p>\n She addresses the Spanish people, saying \u201cCeuta border is a European border, because Ceuta is Spain and Ceuta is Europe<\/a> \u2013 and Europe will be there for you.\u201d<\/p>\n She talks about the EU\u2019s pact on migration and asylum, which \u201cneeds to be fully implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n But she says the EU needs new rules for emergency situations, \u201cespecially in scenarios when mass movements are engineered and weaponised.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is why we will propose a new European Emergency Response instrument. It will only be triggered under a strictly defined set of criterias. And in those cases, it will allow for a time limited and strictly defined flexibility of standard procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n She says the message is clear: \u201cwe will always comply with our values and fundamental rights, but we will never compromise on protecting our borders because it\u2019s us Europeans who decide who comes to our union and under what circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n She also talks about the need to strengthen the EU\u2019s border agency, Frontex, and proposes a new \u201cMediterranean Youth Skills and Jobs Initiative\u201d to work with partners in third countries.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.12 EDT<\/p>\n EU’s von der Leyen calls Israel’s E1 settlement project ‘unacceptable’<\/p>\n Von der Leyen then turns to the situation in Gaza.<\/p>\n She says \u201cthe deep suffering in Gaza and unchecked settler violence in the West Bank have deeply affected Europeans.\u201d<\/p>\n She says the Israeli government\u2019s decision to go ahead with the illegal E1 settlement project is \u201cunacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is painful for many Europeans that member states have been unable to build the necessary majorities for a unified response. Some member states have moved ahead. Others are considering to do so. When Europe is divided, it cannot change the course of events,\u201d she acknowledges.<\/p>\n She says the EU is \u201cleading the way in supporting Palestinians,\u201d and will continue to do so.<\/p>\n She says \u201cEurope supports the right to self-defence for Israel, and the Palestinian people have an equal right to live in safety and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt is Europe\u2019s role to keep the flame of the two state solution alive.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>EU ‘will give our strongest ever support to Ukraine over the toughest winter of the war,’ von der Leyen says<\/p>\n Switching to German, von der Leyen moves on to Ukraine.<\/p>\n She says \u201cthe coming winter will be tough for Ukraine,\u201d but says nothing can break \u201cthe Ukrainian spirit of resistance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur task remains to support Ukraine as best we can,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She says the EU \u201cwill give our strongest ever support to Ukraine over the toughest winter of the war.\u201d<\/p>\n She says the EU is now using its funding to help Ukraine buy air defence systems, and wants to work on developing \u201can affordable modular missile defence system,\u201d made in Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n But she says \u201cmore is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n The EU will work on \u201csetting up a new programme for joint projects with Ukrainian companies,\u201d and work to \u201ctighten our sanctions on Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is needed is not necessarily new sanctions, but above all the enforcement of existing ones. Our sanctions \u2026 are putting enormous pressure on the Russian economy. Russia is doing everything it can to get around them. So we must close the loopholes.\u201d<\/p>\n She goes back to English, talking about Russia\u2019s indiscriminate attacks on civilian populations in Ukraine.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a deliberate strategy of terror,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She talks about a story of a Ukrainian girl named Sasha and her resilience in returning to gymnastics after losing her leg in a Russian strike.<\/p>\n \u201cJust seven months after the attack, she was back in the gym with her new prosthetic leg. She trained harder than ever. She started winning gold after gold. This summer, she travelled the world with her Dance of Freedom tour. Her aim is to tell the world about Ukrainian resilience and the fight for freedom,” she says.<\/p>\n Sasha is in the audience and gets a standing ovation.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Von der Leyen says \u201cthere is no room for any kind of doubt: Europe will defend each and every single square metre of its territory.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>‘Threats are mounting on our soil’ with threat from Russia growing, von der Leyen warns, as she calls for ‘European Security Council’<\/p>\n Von der Leyen then moves to security, as she references the recent incidents in Lithuania, Denmark, and Poland just this week.<\/p>\n \u201cRussia\u2019s war of aggression on Ukraine rages on and threats are mounting on our soil,\u201d she warns.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to be clear about what this was an attack using military grade material carried out by Russian operatives on European soil and attack not only on one member state, but against all of our union.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Lisa](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Lisa-OCarroll-byline-004.jpg\")
Lisa O\u2019Carroll<\/p>\n![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\n