When Ursula von der Leyen became head of the European Commission, she expressed her hope that the institution would take on a more “geopolitical” dimension. The full implications of that phrase have become clear in light of the war in Ukraine. Now more than ever, the European Union has to act in its own defense and to protect its own sovereignty. In other words, it must become a genuine geopolitical power and find its place among a throng of competitors and adversaries.