Europe stands 'firmly united' behind 2-state solution for Mideast, says EU Commission chief

ISTANBUL

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday they stand "firmly united" behind a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine following her meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York.

"We discussed the situation in the Middle East. We both agree that the suffering of civilians must end. Europe stands firmly united behind the Two-State solution," von der Leyen wrote on US social media company X after meeting with Trump.

She also said they agreed on the need to cut Russia’s revenues from fossil fuels, reaffirming that the bloc will have “turned the page on Russian fossil fuels for good" by 2027.

"This is precisely what Europe is doing with our 19th package of sanctions We tighten the pressure, banning imports of Russian LNG into European markets and targeting refineries, oil traders and refineries in third countries," von der Leyen explained.

She also described recent alleged Russian drone incursions into European airspace as "clear attempts" to test Europe's response.

"So Europe is speeding up its defense efforts to strengthen its Eastern flank. It must act as a shield for both Europe and NATO," von der Leyen added.