Von der Leenen: Europe must review security foundations and strengthen Ukraine's defence

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a greater European commitment to security and for overcoming the lack of readiness to spend on defence, citing the invasion of Ukraine from Russia as evidence that the bloc must certainly think of our union as a security project essentially”.

Speaking in the capital of the Czech Republic at the annual security forum, Globsec, Von der Leyen warned that the next years would be “the major risk”.

If we want true peace, we must review the foundations of Europe's security architecture. The invasion launched by Russia has been a warning to Europe”, she said.

Von der Leeyen criticised non-European countries, which argue against Ukraine's weapons and warned against premature talks, for which neither Moscow nor Kiev appear ready to hold two and a half years after Russia began the invasion.

The answer to when it's time for talks, she said, “is up to our Ukrainian friends to give”.

Russian forces currently control a fifth of Russia's territory, but Ukrainian troops now say they have more than 1,200 square metres of Russia's territory under control after they launched an invasion in the Kursk region last month.

While it specifically mentioned “many countries outside Europe” calling for immediate talks, it seems to have been a blow to EU member Hungary, whose president Viktor Orban carried out a self-declared and packaged mission of “peace” in Kiev, Moscow and Beijing, shortly after Budapest took over the chairmanship of the EU Council presidency in July, angering Brussels.

“We want the war to end as soon as”, said Von der Leenen.

But, she added, my <x0 mind is that peace is not just a lack of war. Peace is an agreement that makes war impossible and unnecessary. Therefore, we must put Ukraine on the track to negotiate such peace”.

She warned against blaming Kiev of the unprotested invasion Russia is conducting. She asked whether Hungary or the former Czechoslovakia should be blamed for their countries' invasion by Soviet troops and the Warsaw Pact in 1956 and 1968.

The answer to this question is very clear. The Kremlin's behavior was illegal and cruel then, and the Kremlin's behavior is illegal and cruel yet today”, she added.

Von der Leyen said that Europeans have many different stories and speak many languages, “but in no language peace is synonymous with surrender; in no language sovereignty is synonymous with occupation”.

Therefore, those who argue to stop support for Ukraine do not argue for peace. They argue about the surrender of Ukraine”, it underlined.

Von der Leeyen said one of Russia's war lessons in Ukraine and the international response to it is that “Europe has exceeded the imminent lack of will to spend on its defence”.

She stressed the importance of American support and transatlantic co-operation, but said that “is Europe's duty to protect Europe”.

She said the EU member states' expenses for collective protection have increased from 200 billion euros before the war to nearly 300 billion euros in 2024.

We Europeans have to watch. We need to focus our attention on the security dimensions for everything we do”, it's over. /rel