European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends a press conference after a European Union leaders' special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense, in Brussels, Belgium March 6, 2025. [Photo/Agencies]
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen touted her first 100 days of second term by claiming the US is still an ally despite the actions of President Donald Trump's administration.
Von der Leyen started her speech with a somber reminder of the harsh reality of the world.
"The world around us is changing at lightning speed. Geopolitical shifts are shaking alliances. Decades-old certainties are crumbling," she told a news conference on Sunday.
She did not specifically mention any of the Trump administration's behavior that was regarded as total betrayal in Europe.
When asked by reporters why she still called the US an "ally", she said, "My position is clear: The United States is an ally in the trans-Atlantic alliance".
"In the face of adversity, the US and Europe have always been stronger together," she said.
"Yes, there are differences. We might have different views on some topics, but if you look at the common interests that we have, they always outweigh our differences. So, I think it's important that we work together and find common avenues."
Von der Leyen said "no" when asked if the European Union seeks to "de-risk" from the US, a message contradicting what Friedrich Merz, the likely next German chancellor, has said about becoming "independent" from the US, namely in security and defense.
"That's fine to say, but does Trump America see Europe as an ally? There aren't really any signs of that," Carl Bildt, a former Swedish prime minister and co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, commented on X on von der Leyen's remarks.
'New reality'
"The EU's staunchly Atlanticist president is not adjusting to the new reality," said Dave Keating, a Brussels-based journalist and commentator, referring to von der Leyen's reputation as extremely pro-US.
Von der Leyen has not secured a face-to-face meeting with Trump since the US president took office on Jan 20.
"I think we will have a personal meeting when the time is right and this is the state of play at the moment," she told reporters when asked about a possible meeting.
Europeans overwhelmingly preferred Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2024 US presidential campaign, according to various polls. Trump's return in the last seven weeks has sent shock waves across the EU when he threatened the bloc with punitive tariffs, talked about annexing Greenland, made dramatic policy changes on Ukraine and verbally attacked President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has been regarded as a hero by EU politicians.
On Sunday, von der Leyen praised the "unanimous support" for "ReArm Europe", an 800-billion-euro ($867 billion) package on defense.
"Europe's economic and innovation potential is an asset for its security. Vice versa, Europe's defense efforts can give a massive boost to a more competitive single market in the mid and long term," she said.
While EU leaders' emergency summit last week agreed to boost defense, they have yet to agree on where the money should come from, given the tough economic situation faced by many member states.
The EU now buys about 80 percent of its defense equipment from non-EU supplies, with a large share coming from US companies.
According to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Monday, NATO countries in Europe more than doubled their arms imports in the past five years, more than 60 percent of which were purchases of US weaponry.
