"Ukraine can prevail in this war, but we must continue to empower their resistance" – von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, stated that for Ukraine to prevail in the war against Russia, the West must not withhold the provision of weapons and financial support to Kyiv.
Ursula von der Leyen stated this in a speech at the Davos Forum.
"Ukraine can prevail in this war, but we must continue to empower their resistance.
They (Ukrainians – ed.) need a sufficient and stable supply of weapons for the defense of Ukraine and the return of its legal territory. They need opportunities to deter future attacks from Russia," she noted.
Von der Leyen stressed that Ukrainians need predictable financing during 2024 and beyond.
According to her, Ukrainians should know that through their struggle, they will win a better future for their children.
"The best future for Ukraine is called Europe. It was with great joy that we started negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the EU last month. This will be a historic achievement for Ukraine. And it will be Europe's answer to the call of history," the head of the European Commission summed up.
It should be noted that the day before, von der Leyen stated that 2024 is a "key year for democracy," as elections to the European Parliament will be held against the background of serious challenges facing the continent, primarily due to the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
The media reports that von der Leyen is still the favored candidate for a second term in office ahead of the European elections in June. No other candidate seems to have a chance to replace her.
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Representatives of 81 countries and international organizations took part in the event. Although it received an invitation and had a large delegation in Davos, China ignored the meeting.
At the meeting, five points of the Ukrainian peace formula were considered, namely:
- withdrawal of Russian troops,
- restoration of justice,
- ecological safety,
- preventing the escalation and recurrence of war,
- confirmation of the end of the war.
In addition, on Monday, January 15, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky began a working visit to Switzerland. He will address the forum with a special speech on the panel, "Achieving security and cooperation in a fragmented world".
The Ukrainian delegation held meetings with representatives of European countries in Davos.
