The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen warned that if the Russian President Vladimir Putin winning the war against Ukraine would constitute an existential threat to it European Union.
“If Putin’s imperialist war is successful, the whole of Europe would be existentially threatened”, stressed von der Leyen, during the award ceremony. International Peace Prize from Westphalia to French President Emmanuel Macron in Münster.
“Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are in the security interests of all Europeans. The people of Ukraine defend their country and our security. We must mobilize all the forces of our Union to ensure that Ukraine can deal with the aggressor,” she added.
The President of the Commission stressed that “a fair and sustainable peace in Ukraine can only be based on international law and strong security guarantees for the country”.
Therefore, the EU must contribute, as Europe itself is on the path to greater independence in terms of its defense and security, in order to maintain peace on the continent, von der Leyen noted.
The President of the European Commission described the creation of a European air defense system as a very important initiative.
“A European Union is only truly sovereign if it can be imposed.
This is exactly what people expect from Europe”, emphasized von der Leyen.