Von der Leyen calls for more sanctions on Russia and more support for Ukraine 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today called for more sanctions on Russia and more support for Ukraine.

Speaking in her annual State of the Union address in Strasbourg, she condemned the “reckless and unprecedented violation of Poland’s and Europe’s airspace by more than 10 Russian drones”, and added: “Putin’s message is clear, and our response must be clear too. We need more pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table. We need more sanctions.”

“We are now working on the 19th package in coordination with partners. We are particularly looking at phasing out Russian fossil fuels faster, the shadow fleet and third countries.”

At the same time, she urged more support for Ukraine: “No one has contributed as much as Europe,” she said – close to €170 billion of military and financial aid so far. “More will be needed,” she added, “and it should not only be European taxpayers who bear the brunt of this. This is Russia’s war. And it is Russia that should pay.”

“This is why we need to work urgently on a new solution to finance Ukraine’s war effort on the basis of the immobilised Russian assets,” she said, adding that while the assets themselves would not be touched, the cash balances associated to the assets could be used to provide Ukraine with a Reparations Loan. She added that Ukraine would only pay back the loan once Russia paid for the reparations.

Von der Leyen also said the Commission would propose a new ‘Qualitative Military Edge’ programme to support investment in the Ukrainian military’s capabilities, helping to transform Ukrainian ingenuity into battlefield advantage – and into joint industrialisation.

“This is why I can also announce that Europe will frontload €6 billion from the ERA loan and enter into a Drone Alliance with Ukraine.

“Ukraine has the ingenuity. What it needs now is scale. And together, we can provide it: so that Ukraine keeps its edge, and Europe strengthens its own.”

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State of the Union speech