For this reason, the president of the Commission insists that the EU must devote all its efforts to supporting the Government of Volodímir Zelenski in the middle of war. And that means sending Russian funds frozen in community territory to kyiv, transformed into a “reparations loan”.
The community Executive already proposed in September a credit of 140,000 million euros for Ukraine, financed with the Bank of Russia’s assets tied up in the Brussels-based financial services company Euroclear. But Belgium blocks it for fear that Moscow’s retaliation will fall solely on its territory.
“Before the absence of any real intention on the part of Russia to engage in peace talksit is clear that we must support Ukraine so that it can defend itself. And that starts by ensuring that it has the necessary financial means,” Von der Leyen said in the European Parliament.
At the October summit, the EU heads of state and government – except Hungarian Víktor Orbán – committed to covering Ukraine’s financial needs for 2026 and 2027. Brussels has calculated that kyiv will need 135 billion euros in totaladding budget support and military aid.
Since coming to power, Donald Trump has cut off economic aid to Ukraineso it is the Europeans who have to foot the entire bill.
Following the Belgian Prime Minister’s reservations, Bart de Weverthe Commission has presented a document with two other alternatives: direct subsidies by the Member States or a joint European debt issue to support Ukraine.
The two options would place a heavy burden on the national budgets of the Member States, at a time when they have limited fiscal space and must also invest in their own Defense. For this reason, all governments – except Belgium – support the option of using frozen Russian funds.
Von der Leyen announced in the European Parliament that “the Commission is prepared to present the legal text” of the new economic aid plan for Ukraine and has made it clear that it will include the use of the frozen assets of the Bank of Russia.
The plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, during this Wednesday’s debate on Ukraine
“I cannot conceive of any scenario in which European taxpayers will have to foot the bill alone.. That would not be acceptable either. And there is another thing that must also be clear: any decision in this regard must be adopted in accordance with the rules of the competent jurisdictions and will respect European and international law,” he assured.
In addition to helping Ukraine, Von der Leyen defends that the EU must intensify pressure on Russia, although it still has not presented any formal proposal for a 20th sanctions packageas the Member States closest to the front line demand.
“Russia’s playbook has not changed. From the beginning, Russia has always believed that it can outlast Ukraine, Europe and all its allies. And that’s why, Every time there is serious progress towards negotiations that can bring real peace, violence intensifies.“says the president.
“We’ve seen it before. It’s a pattern. And the messages that have come from the Kremlin in recent days say a lot about their true intentions. For them, Ukraine remains the first step in a much bigger game. For Russia, any peace agreement involves permanently redrawing maps. It is about returning to great power relations and spheres of influence,” he stressed.
Although Ukraine has accepted it, the German once again insisted this Wednesday that “more efforts are needed” to correct Trump’s plan, although she praised his work in favor of peace. For the EU, in addition to financial support, there are other four essential priorities that must be present in the final text.
First, “there can be no limitations on the Armed Forces of Ukraine that leave the country vulnerable to future attacks.” In addition, kyiv needs “Strong, durable and credible security guarantees” to avoid any future attack by Russia. “Any peace agreement must guarantee long-term European security,” maintains the president.
“The second priority is to defend Ukraine’s sovereignty. We know that the Russian mentality has not changed since the times of Yalta: it continues to see our continent in terms of spheres of influence, Von der Leyen has warned.
That’s why, The EU will not accept “a unilateral dismemberment of a sovereign European nation”. “Borders cannot be changed by force. If we legitimize and formalize the violation of borders today, we open the door to more wars tomorrow,” he concluded.
The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, during this Wednesday’s debate on Ukraine
The third priority is that the EU and NATO must have a seat at the negotiating table on matters that concern them. “Whatever the design of a future peace treaty, it is clear that a large part of its implementation will fall on the EU and NATO partners,” alleges the president.
“The last priority I want to focus on is one that cannot be forgotten: the return of each of the Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia. There are tens of thousands of boys and girls whose whereabouts are unknown, trapped by Russia on Russian territory. We will not forget them,” Von der Leyen stressed.
“The next few days are fraught with dangerespecially for the people of Ukraine, who continue to suffer the daily bombardment of attacks. Yes, the situation is complex. Yes, it is volatile. Yes, it is dangerous,” the German warned.
!But I also think there is a real opportunity to move forward. Until now, we have not seen any sign from Russia of a genuine willingness to end this conflict. So we must keep the pressure on Russia. But it is also our duty to participate in all efforts that can lead to a just and lasting peace,” he concluded.