MANILA — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a stern warning on Monday, emphasizing that Europe will not condone any acts of aggression in either Ukraine or the Indo-Pacific region. During her visit to Manila, she also reaffirmed the EU’s recognition of a 2016 arbitration decision that invalidated China’s extensive claims in the contested South China Sea
Speaking at a joint news conference with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the discussions aimed to strengthen trade, economic, and security relations between the EU and the Philippines. The leaders announced the resumption of negotiations for a free-trade agreement between the 27-nation bloc and the Philippines, which had stalled in 2017 during the tenure of Marcos’s predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.