European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union will step up its support for Ukraine in the war against Russia.
According to her, the EU has already agreed with Kyiv to allocate €2 billion for the purchase of drones. This will significantly strengthen Ukraine’s capacity to deploy unmanned technologies on the battlefield, while at the same time boosting Europe’s own defense industry.
Von der Leyen also stressed the need for a more structural solution to military support. She proposed the creation of a “reparations loan” based on immobilized Russian assets. The loan would be disbursed in tranches under specific conditions, with part of the funds directed towards defense procurement in Europe. Importantly, this does not involve seizing assets: Ukraine would repay the loan if Russia eventually pays reparations.
In addition, the European Commission president announced a new package of sanctions against Russia, targeting energy, financial services, and trade. A key element of the package will be a ban on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia.
“If we believe that Ukraine is our first line of defense, we must step up military assistance and increase economic pressure on the aggressor,” von der Leyen underlined.