European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today in Munich that the European Union should "revive" the mutual defense pact enshrined in its founding treaty.
"Mutual defense is not an optional task for the European Union. It is an obligation that stems from our own treaty," von der Leyen said in a speech at the Munich Security Conference.
She stressed that it is a collective obligation for member states to stand by each other in the event of aggression according to the principle - all for one, one for all, Reuters reports.
"That's the point of Europe," she said, adding that Europe, which has been dependent on the US for defense for decades, "must move into top gear" and "assume its responsibilities."
Europe's security, she stated, has not always been considered a primary responsibility, but that has fundamentally changed.
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