Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (née Albrecht) is a German politician and physician. She has served as president of the European Commission since 2019 and was re-elected in July 2024. Before leading the Commission, she held positions in the German federal government from 2005 to 2019, most recently as federal minister for defence.

At a meeting of European leaders in Brussels, von der Leyen said the European Union would not lift sanctions on Russia unless it stops the war. She also said discussions would address Ukraine’s path toward EU membership, including the possible opening of two further negotiating clusters before the end of the year.