BRUSSELS, Dec 17 (KUNA) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday that "there is no more important act of European defence than supporting Ukraineآ’s defence." In a speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg, she stressed that strengthening Ukraineآ’s ability to secure a real, just and lasting peace would also protect Europe.
On the eve of a EU leadersآ’ summit, expected to take decisions in this regard, von der Leyen underlined that the coming days would be crucial for securing the financing of Ukraine in the face of Russiaآ’s war.
She added that this weekآ’s European Council comes to "face the reality of the moment," noting that the world has become "dangerous and transactional," which, in her words, requires that "we, Europeans, must defend ourselves and we must depend on ourselves." Von der Leyen explained that Russiaآ’s war on Ukraine constituted "the biggest wake-up call," stressing that "yesterdayآ’s peace is gone" and that there is "no time to indulge in nostalgia," adding that what matters most is how to confront todayآ’s challenges. "We, Europeans, cannot afford to let the worldviews of others define us," she said.
She emphasized that "Europe must be responsible for its own security," considering that this is "no longer an option" but "a must." She noted that the European Union is undergoing a fundamental transformation of its defence industrial base, explaining that defence investments enabled up to 2030 amount to around EUR 800 billion, compared with just EUR eight billion over the past ten years.
Von der Leyen affirmed that supporting Ukraine represents "the core of European defence," warning that Russia does not have Ukraine alone in its sights but is "escalating its operations on EU territory" and has moved to a "full wartime economy," posing a direct threat to Europeآ’s national and economic security.
She stressed that it is up to Europeans "to choose how we fund Ukraineآ’s fight," underscoring the need to increase the cost of the war for Russia.
She explained that Ukraineآ’s needs for 2026 and 2027 amount to around EUR 137 billion, of which Europe would have to cover EUR 90 billion euros, equivalent to two thirds of the total.
The European Parliament is expected to vote later today on a draft law to ban imports of natural gas from Russia, in a step aimed at ending Europeآ’s energy dependence on Russia.
Earlier this month, the EU Commission, in agreement with the European Parliament, approved a decision providing for a gradual ban on imports of Russian gas, whether transported via pipelines or liquefied natural gas, starting from 1st of January 2026, with limited transitional periods for existing contracts. These imports are expected to disappear entirely from the European market by 2027. (end) arn.gta