At a press conference alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the President of the European Commission stated that the Russian leader "can only be contained through strong deterrence."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen renewed her criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, warning of the need for the European Union (EU) to strengthen its defenses. "We must maintain a sense of urgency because we know Putin hasn't changed and won't change. He is a predator," she stated, adding that in the last 25 years he has started four wars – in Chechnya, Georgia, Crimea, and Ukraine. "We know from experience that he can only be contained through strong deterrence," she said.
Von der Leyen emphasized that countries need to be "coordinated, precise, and swift" in increasing defense, especially in frontline states. She noted that EU member states directly bordering Russia and Belarus will receive additional funding from the European Union.
The President of the European Commission also stated that a roadmap will be prepared in the coming weeks on how to invest the additional defense funds in the European Union's defense posture. "We will analyze the gaps we have in the European Union and how to fill them by 2030 with targets and milestones, because only what gets measured gets done."
She concluded her speech by saying that Europe must be strong in its defense posture. "We must invest in protecting our borders, but also in military capabilities and in well-equipped and trained armed forces. The same applies to security guarantees for Ukraine," she stated.
Europe has "precise" plans to send troops to Ukraine, says EU chief
Europe is drawing up "very precise plans" to send multinational troops to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the FT (Financial Times) in an interview published this Sunday (31).
The deployment of military personnel would be part of post-conflict security guarantees that will be supported by US capabilities, according to the head of the European bloc.
"President Trump assured us that there will be [an] American presence as part of the protection mechanism," von der Leyen told the FT, adding that "this has been very clear and repeatedly stated."
The deployment is expected to include potentially tens of thousands of European-led military personnel, supported by US assistance, including command and control systems and intelligence and surveillance assets.
The newspaper states that this arrangement was agreed upon in a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and senior European leaders last month.
European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and von der Leyen, are expected to meet in Paris on Thursday (4) at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to continue high-level discussions on Ukraine, the FT reported, citing three diplomats briefed on the plans.