European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposes European Security Council and emergency protocol in State of the Union speech

In her State of the Union address on Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new security architecture for the European Union, including a European Security Council and an emergency security protocol. The plan aims to reduce Europe's reliance on the United States by developing its own military capabilities. The proposals come amid Russia's war in Ukraine and increasing hybrid threats. While welcomed by some, questions remain about how the new structures would work and whether they would effectively deter Russia.