The European Union should consider using the profits from frozen Russian assets to buy military supplies for Ukraine, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said today.
"European sovereignty means taking responsibility for what is vital for us. It's time to start a conversation about using the windfall profits from frozen Russian assets for the joint purchase of military equipment for Ukraine," she said in the European Parliament in a speech in which she pledged to EU to do more on defense policy.
Presenting her vision for the new strategy to MEPs in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said that "at the heart of this must be a simple principle - Europe must spend more, spend better, spend European".
"The risks of war should not be exaggerated, but one should be prepared for them, and that starts with the urgent need to rebuild, replenish, and modernize the armed forces of the member states," said the head of the European Commission.
The strategy for European defense will be presented by the Commission in the coming weeks, and the president said that one of the goals will be the priority of joint procurement.
Bonus video:
