France, Sept. 11 -- EU chief Ursula von der Leyen sketched a harder-edged Europe in her state of the union address on Wednesday, setting out plans to fortify the bloc's eastern flank, keep Ukraine funded and reframe ties with Israel.

European Commission President von der Leyen used her annual speech to argue that the EU must "fight" for its position and defend "every inch" of its territory, after more than ten Russian drones violated Polish airspace overnight.

"Battlelines for a new world order based on power are being drawn right now," she told MEPs at the European Parliament in Strasbourg in a crisp address.

"This must be Europe's independence moment," she said- a shift for the EU from market superpower to a strategic actor that can ...