EU should 'bring to life' mutual defense pact, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged the EU to fully activate its mutual defence pact, calling it a treaty obligation and a collective commitment to stand together against aggression.

Andrew Gray/Reuters

February 14, 2026

EU should 'bring to life' mutual defense pact, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during the Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, February 14, 2026.

Liesa Johannssen/Reuters

The European Union should "bring to life" a mutual defence pact anchored in its founding treaty, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday.

"Mutual defence is not an optional task for the European Union. It is an obligation within our own treaty," von der Leyen said in a speech at the conference.

"It is our collective commitment to stand by each other in case of aggression, or in simple terms: one for all and all for one. And this is Europe's meaning."

-Andrew Gray/Reuters