Europe has the means and the will to increase pressure on Russia: von der Leyen after the meeting of the coalition of the willing
Kyiv • UNN
The President of the European Commission also emphasized that "Europe's defense is our responsibility," summarizing plans to increase defense spending and production.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted that the bloc "has the means and the will to increase pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table," commenting on today's online coalition of the willing, UNN reports with reference to The Guardian.
Details
The meeting likely followed a four-way meeting between Macron, Merz, Starmer, and Zelenskyy in London.
Von der Leyen said that European leaders "know what is at stake and know that we no longer have time to delay."
She particularly defended the EU's proposal for a reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets, which Belgium continues to oppose due to legal issues.
"The proposal works on the remaining cash generated from frozen Russian assets. These remnants will be used for reparations. So the longer Putin wages his war, sheds blood, takes lives, and destroys Ukrainian infrastructure, the higher the costs will be for Russia," she said.
The President of the European Commission also emphasized that "the defense of Europe is our responsibility," summarizing plans to increase defense spending and production.
Regarding diplomacy, she strongly criticized Moscow for "deception" and "stalling for time," as well as for "mocking diplomacy and increasing the number of attacks while pretending to seek peace."
"Today, this facade remains unwavering. But we will not fall for it, we know who is the aggressor and who is the victim in this war," she said.