Decision on Ukrainian territory should be made by Ukraine, Europe will continue support - von der Leyen

The European Union will continue to support Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty, but the decision on which territory to defend belongs to Ukraine itself, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said.

"What the United States does is their decision, but the European Union has always made it clear that we will support Ukraine and provide it with everything it needs. So far, EUR 175 billion have been invested in Ukraine's defense, as well as in its economic survival. And we will not stop there. We will stand by Ukraine. And this also includes providing them with the military potential they need to defend their country," von der Leyen said in an interview with CNN.

At the same time, she stressed, the final decision should be made by the Ukrainian side.

"The goal is, of course, to decide which Ukrainian territory needs to be protected. That is Ukraine's decision. And we respect that. The goal is for Putin to come to the negotiating table, to come to the negotiating table because we all want peace," she explained.

Von der Leyen also stressed that Ukraine's fight is not just for its own independence and sovereignty, it is a matter of world order and respect for the charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries.

"We are working very hard to support Ukraine, and also to show that there is a strong coalition of the willing that ensures that once peace is established, we can at least provide Ukraine with security guarantees," she said.

"It took some time, but the evidence is compelling to show President Trump that President Putin is a predator, that he does not want peace, and that we must make it very clear that international rules must be respected. And that is what you heard from him yesterday," von der Leyen added.