India-EU Trade Deal: 'Mother of All Deals' Almost Sealed Ahead of Summit

“I will travel to India. There is still work to do. But we are on the cusp of a historic trade agreement. Some call it the mother of all deals,” she said. Her underlining of the scale of the deal comes at a time when US President Donald Trump has been using tariffs against India and European countries to force them into positions that he prefers. "It is time to seize this opportunity and build a new independent Europe," said von der Leyen, mentioning current "geopolitical shocks" and how the 27-nation bloc is responding. President of the European Council Antonio Costa and von der Leyen will be in India from January 25 to 27 as Republic Day chief guests, and hold summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two sides are set to announce the conclusion of negotiations on the much-awaited Free Trade Agreement at the India-EU summit on January 27. "And, crucially, that would provide a first-mover advantage for Europe with one of the world's fastest growing and most dynamic continents," von der Leyen said, explaining that Europe wants to do business with the growth centres of today and the economic powerhouses of this century. "From Latin America to the Indo Pacific and far beyond, Europe will always choose the world. And the world is ready to choose Europe," she said in her televised address. The joint comprehensive strategic vision that will govern their relationship for the period 2026-2030. In her address, von der Leyen also touched upon geopolitical challenges over, for instance, Greenland. "In my view, the seismic change we are going through today is an opportunity, in fact, a necessity to build a new form of European independence. This need is neither new nor a reaction to recent events," she said. "We will only be able to capitalise on this opportunity if we recognise that this change is permanent," she said. "And plunging us into a dangerous downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape," she said. "But beyond this, we have to be strategic about how we approach this issue," said the top EU leader, referring to the Russia-Ukraine war. "In just over a month, we will mark the fourth anniversary of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Four years on, Russia shows no sign of abating. No sign of remorse. No sign of seeking peace," she said. "This must end. We all want peace for Ukraine. We recognise President Trump's role in pushing the peace process forward, and we will work closely with the United States. We all agree that Ukraine must therefore be in a position of strength to go to the negotiation table," she said.