[1/4] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. Von der Leyen, who has been at the head of the bloc's executive Commission since the end of 2019, also said she would appoint an envoy to help small and medium-sized enterprises tackle red tape to make it easier to do business. Lawmakers gave a standing ovation after von der Leyen recounted the fate of Victoria Amelina, a Ukrainian writer and activist who was killed in a Russian attack on Ukraine. An upcoming package to support Europe's wind industry would be aimed at helping the sector as renewable energy companies struggle with steep inflation, von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen also said the wealthy bloc must engage more with African countries and accused Russia of stirring chaos in the Sahel region of the continent.

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Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, Von der Leyen, von der Leyen, Victoria Amelina, Héctor Abad, Yves Herman, Jan Strupczewski, Marine Strauss, Foo Yun Chee, Kate Abnett, Gabriela Baczynska, Andrew Gray, Julia Payne, Philip Blenkinsop, Ingrid Melander, Nick Macfie, Alex Richardson Organizations: European, European Union, REUTERS, EU, STRASBOURG, EU Commission, Ukraine, Kyiv, Lawmakers, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Europe, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Colombian, China, Russia, Sahel, Africa, Brussels