Europe must be able to take care of its own defense and security, this must be the moment of European independence, said the President of the European Commission in her State of the Union speech on Wednesday.
“This must be the moment of Europe’s independence. I believe that this is the mission of our Union, to be able to take care of our own defense and security, to take control of the technologies and energy that will drive our economies,” von der Leyen said in a speech before representatives of the European Parliament at the plenary session in Strasbourg.
She pointed out that the battle lines for a new world order based on power are now being drawn.
“So, yes, Europe must fight. For its place in a world where many great powers are either ambivalent or openly hostile towards Europe. A world of imperial ambitions and imperial wars. A world where addictions are mercilessly used as a weapon. And it is for all these reasons that a new Europe must emerge,” said the President of the Commission.
The president of the European Commission proposed on Wednesday a loan for the reconstruction of Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral.
We must urgently work on a new solution to finance Ukraine’s war effort based on immobilized Russian assets, with which we can provide Ukraine with a loan for reparations, she said in her State of the Union address.
She added that this money remains Russian property, and that Ukraine will repay the loan only when Russia pays reparations.
The money will help Ukraine today, but it will also be crucial for Ukraine’s security in the medium and long term. For example, financing strong Ukrainian armed forces as the first line of security guarantees, von der Leyen said.
Europe stands firmly with Poland, she said of the latest Russian drone attack that crossed the Polish border last night.
“Putin’s message is clear, and our response must be clear too. We are working on the 19th package of sanctions and we are working to prevent the Russian shadow fleet. So far, we have allocated 170 billion euros in aid to Ukraine, but this burden must also be paid by Russia, which is waging this war,” the Commission chief said.
