India and the European Union will try to seal a trade deal during this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday.

Von der Leyen said during a New Delhi visit that the bloc was considering a defense and security partnership with India. The EU is aiming to achieve a free trade agreement with New Delhi ahead of possible US tariffs.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday in an attempt to revive and expand economic ties. The return of Donald Trump to the White House, tensions with China and economic sanctions on Russia have prompted Brussels to push for deeper trading ties with other economies.

Ukraine could join the European Union before 2030 if the country continues its reforms at their current speed and quality, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters in Kyiv on Monday.

India and the EU must take their strategic ties to the "next level" in an era of great power competition and geopolitical turmoils and the relationship has the potential to be one of the defining partnerships of this century,

Highlighting the need to bolster cooperation between new Delhi and Brussels in the areas of digital technology, Artificial Intelligence and defence, EU President Ursula von der Leyen termed India as a "pillar of certainty" for Europe in an "increasingly uncertain world".

It is too early to discuss the potential lifting of European sanctions on Russia. First, Russia must demonstrate with concrete actions that it really seeks peace, stated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a meeting with the media following the Support Ukraine plenary session.