European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent a message in Prague to those opposing European support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression, stating that surrender cannot be synonymous with peace.
“Today, some politicians within our Union, even in this part of Europe, are muddying the waters in our discussions about Ukraine. They don’t blame the invader for the war but rather those who were attacked; they don’t accuse Putin’s lust for power but rather Ukraine’s thirst for freedom,” von der Leyen said during her speech at the GLOBSEC security forum in Prague.
Although she did not mention any names, it was clear that she was alluding to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who advocate for the European Union (EU) to stop supporting Ukraine, arguing that such support fuels the war, while they claim to stand for peace.
“We may speak different languages, but in no language is peace synonymous with surrender, and in no language is sovereignty synonymous with occupation… Those who advocate for ending support to Ukraine are not advocating for peace, but for the appeasement and subjugation of Ukraine,” von der Leyen said in her first address since being appointed for a new term as President of the European Commission for the next five years.
She questioned those opposed to aiding Ukraine if they would blame Hungarians for the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956 or Czechs for Soviet repression in 1968. “The answer is very clear – the Kremlin’s behavior was illegal and cruel then, just as it is today,” she said.
Von der Leyen emphasized that peace is not merely the absence of war but a solution that makes war unnecessary, and therefore it is the EU’s duty to help Ukraine reach a position where it can negotiate such a peace.
In her speech, von der Leyen also addressed the misconception that economic interdependence guarantees security.
“For decades, many believed that economic interdependence was a guarantee of security. Europe bought most of its gas from Russia, which was supposed to ensure that Moscow would never start another war on the old continent,” von der Leyen said, adding that this was an illusion and that Europe’s dependence on Russia became an asset in Putin’s hands.
“The Russian invasion opened Europe’s eyes. It wasn’t just Ukrainian cities that were reduced to rubble, but also our fundamental security assumptions… What we believed to be a source of security was, in fact, a source of vulnerability,” von der Leyen stressed.
