European Commission outlines upcoming defence strategy proposal

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attends the Munich Security Conference, in Munich, Germany February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

MUNICH (Reuters) -The European Commission will present a defence industrial strategy proposal in three weeks, commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Saturday, and will also open a defence innovation office in Ukraine.

"Europe has to step up its industrial base ... I'm a convinced transatlanticist and at the same time we have to build a strong Europe and that goes hand in hand," von der Leyen told a panel at the Munich Security Conference.