"Europe's Firm Stance: No Tolerance for Pacific Aggression, Ursula von der Leyen Asserts in the Philippines"

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed Europe's stance against aggression in Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region during a visit to the Philippines. She emphasized the need for security cooperation and reiterated the European Union's recognition of a 2016 arbitration decision that invalidated China's expansive claims in the South China Sea. Von der Leyen and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the resumption of free-trade negotiations between the EU and the Philippines. The visit marks an improvement in EU-Philippines relations after a period of tension over human rights concerns.