Von der Leyen: Europe must review the foundations of security and strengthen the defense of Ukraine

2024-08-30 21:09:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Von der Leyen: Europe must review the foundations of security and strengthen the

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a greater European commitment to security and overcoming a lack of willingness to spend on defence, citing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as evidence that the bloc must "think of our union as a security project at its core".

Speaking in the capital of the Czech Republic at the annual security forum, Globsec, Von der Leyen warned that the coming years would be "big risks".

"If we want real 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 Leyen criticized non-European countries arguing against arming Ukraine and warned against premature talks that neither Moscow nor Kiev appear ready to hold two and a half years after Russia launched the invasion.

The answer when it is time for talks, she said, "is up to our Ukrainian friends to give". Russian forces currently control a fifth of Russian territory, but Ukrainian troops now say they control more than 1,200 square meters of Russian territory after launching an incursion into the Kursk region last month.

While she specifically mentioned "many countries outside Europe" that are calling for immediate talks, it appeared to be a jab at EU member Hungary, whose president Viktor Orban has carried out a self-proclaimed and uncoordinated mission to " of peace" in Kiev, Moscow and Beijing, immediately after Budapest took over the presidency of the EU Council in July, upsetting Brussels.

"We want the war to end as soon as possible," Von der Leyen said.

But, she added that "my position is that peace is not simply the absence of war." Peace is an agreement that makes war impossible and unnecessary. Therefore, we must put Ukraine on the track of negotiating such a peace".

She warned against blaming Kiev for Russia's unprovoked invasion. She asked whether Hungary or the former Czechoslovakia should be blamed for the occupation of their countries by Soviet and Warsaw Pact troops 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 still illegal and cruel today," she added. Von der Leyen said that Europeans have many different histories and speak many languages, “but in no language is peace synonymous with surrender; in no language is sovereignty synonymous with conquest".

"Therefore, those who argue to stop support for Ukraine, do not argue for peace. They argue for the surrender of Ukraine," she underlined.

Von der Leyen said that one of the lessons of Russia's war in Ukraine and the international response to it is that "Europe has overcome its overwhelming lack of will to spend on its own defense."

She emphasized the importance of American support and transatlantic cooperation, but said that "it is Europe's duty to protect Europe".

She said EU member states' spending on collective defense has increased from 200 billion euros before the war to nearly 300 billion euros in 2024.

"We Europeans must be on guard. We must focus attention on the security dimensions for everything we do", she concluded./ Rel