"Today, the world’s two largest democracies launched a Security and Defence Partnership. A platform for stranger cooperation on the strategic issues that matter most - from defence industry to maritime security. This is what trusted partners do," Tweeted Ursula von der Leyen, just after India - EU summit in New Delhi creating a roar heard clear in Washington.

Yes, it's a big deal. Not just for India and EU, but for the whole world.
With her tweet, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new roar in global politics. The India-EU Security and Defence Partnership, signed hours after she stood as chief guest at India’s Republic Day, is a signal heard clearly in Washington and Beijing. This is not just a deal. It is the strategic awakening of the world’s two largest democracies.
As EU flags fluttered beside India’s Tiranga on Kartavya Path, the symbolism was deliberate. Von der Leyen’s presence was a statement: in a world where old allies turn capricious and coercion rises, democratic giants are building their own fortress.
Her very name, Ursula, derives from the Latin ursa: ‘she-bear.’ In nature, the she-bear (mada bhalu) and the lioness (sherni) share the same powerful heart—built for stamina, sudden force, and fierce protection. This symbolism has defined her leadership. Her resolve, forged in Angela Merkel’s cabinet and tempered as Europe’s top executive, has been tested by a return to raw power politics.
That testing came repeatedly from Donald Trump. His first term dismissed NATO as “obsolete” and labeled the EU a “foe.” In 2018, he declared the bloc a “brutal trading partner.” The audacious 2019 query about purchasing Greenland crystallized a European fear: that the American partnership had become purely transactional. Von der Leyen’s response was the doctrine of “European Sovereignty”—the imperative to “take our destiny into our own hands.”
Trump’s 2025 reelection turned doctrine into emergency. By November 2025, he threatened a 50% tariff on Indian goods over Delhi’s Russia ties. For Europe, this was not just pressure on India, but a symptom of a reckless Washington willing to weaponize trade against democracies. Simultaneously, he revived threats against the EU, calling it a “cartel.” The collective pressure forged a compelling logic: India and Europe needed each other.
A viral Hindi meme captured the moment: “Bhalu ko mat chhedo, Lekin Trump ne Ursula ko chhed diya.” (Don’t poke the bear, but Trump poked Ursula). The joke was geopolitical dark humour at its sharpest. The provocation had stirred the protective ‘mama bear’ in Brussels. Her journey to Delhi is the strategic roar that follows.
The summit delivered substance to match the symbolism. The landmark was the conclusion of the long-stalled Free Trade Agreement—the “mother of all deals.” It promises a seismic shift, with India slashing car tariffs from 110% to 40% for an initial EU quota, with a roadmap for deeper cuts. It unlocks doors in services, tech, and green energy while guarding agricultural sensitivities.
Alongside it, the Security and Defence Partnership elevates ties to a full strategic alliance. It commits both to cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, cybersecurity, joint exercises, and defence industrial collaboration. This is multialignment executed with precision. For India, navigating Trump’s tariffs, Chinese incursions, and West Asian volatility, the EU is a democratic, reliable anchor. For Europe, pursuing strategic autonomy from an erratic America and an assertive China, India is the indispensable pillar of a multipolar world.
The historical echoes are deep. India’s outreach to the European Economic Community began in 1962, a pragmatic step just before the Sino-Indian War exposed the limits of dogma. That early move foreshadowed today’s agile, multi-vector statecraft.
For me, this moment closes a personal circle. In May 2005, I sat in a Brussels conference hall for an EU-India journalists’ dialogue titled “Crossing Boundaries.” We debated how to breathe life into the nascent Strategic Partnership with officials like Fraser Cameron. The recommendations we drafted then—for systematic dialogue and closer ties—were a blueprint. To witness, two decades later, EU flags on Kartavya Path and these pacts being signed, is to see patience meet its moment.
Ursula von der Leyen, the she-bear with a lioness’s strategic heart, has found a formidable partner in Narendra Modi’s India. This is the deliberate construction of a new democratic bridge, guarded by resolve and built for a fractured age. The guardians are in place. The world must adjust.

Email:---------------------------editoronkar@gmail.com