On October 15, sources revealed that the European Commission has begun assessing import data for the chemicals, machinery and other industries, and von der Leyen proposed at the summit that safeguard and quota measures be taken to protect the relevant industries.
European Commission President von der Leyen announced that Ukraine has received €2.86 billion from the EU for the procurement of drones, air defense systems, missiles, radar, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition.
On September 16, European Commission President von der Leyen delivered the State of the Union address at the European Parliament, stating that the EU's trade deficit with China has reached a critical point. She announced that the EU will use all available tools to reshape its relationship with China and established the European Critical Raw Materials Board to reduce dependence on Chinese rare earths.
On September 16, while delivering the State of the Union address before the European Parliament, von der Leyen announced that a European Critical Raw Materials Company would be established to coordinate the procurement and stockpiling of critical minerals, in order to reduce the EU's dependence on China for rare earths and other critical minerals.
European Commission President von der Leyen invited Canada on September 16 to become the first associate member of the EU during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, proposing deeper cooperation in manufacturing, technology, defense industry, artificial intelligence, and the Arctic. Canadian Prime Minister Carney welcomed the proposal.
During Canadian Prime Minister Carney's visit to Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed making Canada the EU's first "associate member," sparking widespread outside attention and discussion.
During a visit to Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a joint drone production agreement with Ukraine, planning to combine Ukrainian technology with the scale of European industry to expand production.