Von der Leyen: EU fast-tracks Black Sea security hub with €15M

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used a visit to Romania on Monday to announce the EU is fast-tracking a Black Sea maritime security hub, complete with a "clear timeline for completion and dedicated funding of €15 million." She said the bloc would answer the recent drone strikes on the Black Sea with a response that is "strong and united." The move puts money and a deadline behind a plan that had been floating without either.

Von der Leyen didn't sugarcoat the backdrop. The security environment in the Black Sea region, she said, has deteriorated "faster than any of us had anticipated," and she threw the Commission's weight behind Ukraine's push for a ceasefire in the waters. That ceasefire call lands as shipping and grain routes through the Black Sea stay under threat.

The trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States kick off in Abu Dhabi tomorrow, and von der Leyen confirmed the EU will have a seat at the table. The negotiations are set to cover ending the war in Ukraine and post-war security. But she drew a hard line on the bigger picture: "any meaningful talks" on European security infrastructure can only begin after a ceasefire in Ukraine, in "an appropriate forum," with NATO allies and EU member states in the room.

The diplomacy is already fanning out. Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's senior advisor and son-in-law, said Monday he will meet with representatives of Ukraine, the EU, NATO, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy to discuss Kyiv's post-war future and European security ahead of the Abu Dhabi sit-down. He argued that a "comprehensive and lasting settlement" will require Russia and European partners to engage directly on the security arrangements that affect them.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and thanked him for consistently telling Russian President Vladimir Putin it is time to end the war. The two discussed the grain situation in the Black Sea, with Zelensky saying India could contribute through food security. The same day, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi condemned strikes on the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant as "unacceptable attacks," after one worker was killed in a drone strike and another died in a separate attack on the Zaporizhzhia thermal power plant.

Canada piled on its own pressure. Foreign Secretary Anita Anand announced sanctions on 38 entities and 24 individuals, some tied to Russia's ballistic missile production and alleged cybercrime attempts. "We remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine," she said, vowing to keep imposing costs until Russia ends its aggression.