Published On 4/29/2026
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Wednesday for an end to the war in the Middle East, saying that Europeans will feel its repercussions for years, and that the time has come for Europe to become energy independent.
Von der Leyen said in a speech before the European Parliament, “The ceasefire in Iran and Lebanon must hold to restore peace and stability through diplomatic endeavors,” and that any peace agreement must include addressing the Iranian nuclear program and ballistic missiles.
It also stressed the need to restore full freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without imposing fees.
The European official’s call to end the war in the region comes while the course of this war is still unclear, amid talk of Iran’s intention to present a modified proposal to mediators in Pakistan within the next few days.
Energy is a European priority
The President of the European Commission spoke about the repercussions of the war in the Middle East on economic security in Europe, and said that Europeans will feel these repercussions for months or years to come.
In the same context, von der Leyen stressed the necessity of providing independent and secure sources of energy on the European continent, and called on Europe to rely on renewable energy sources to protect itself from what she called future shocks, considering that this is the path towards European independence in the field of energy.
She called for reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and enhancing reliance on clean energy supplies, noting that during 60 days of conflict, the fossil fuel import bill increased by more than 27 billion euros without any additional energy production.
The European official also revealed that the energy issue was a priority at the European Union leaders’ meeting, stressing that in the current European budget, about 300 billion euros were allocated for energy, 95 billion of which have not yet been used.
Last week, the Europeans proposed a set of measures that could be adopted in varying ways in European Union countries, including – according to von der Leyen – increased coordination at the European level in filling gas stocks and fuel reserves, especially jet fuel and diesel, in addition to protecting consumers and companies, and the necessity of reducing energy demand.
Today, the European Union Ministers of Transport, Communications and Energy held a meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus, to discuss the repercussions of the war, days after a meeting in the same city with the participation of leaders from countries in the region.
The leaders’ meeting was devoted to discussing the accelerating security and economic repercussions of the war in the Middle East, especially the issue of freedom of navigation. At its conclusion, the attendees demanded the opening of the Strait of Hormuz without conditions or restrictions. They also welcomed the extension of the ceasefire, including in Lebanon.
Britain and France expressed their hope to formulate a military plan to protect the Strait of Hormuz, and work to keep it open as soon as the war on Iran ends, and trade flows resume through this vital corridor.
