Peace agreement text for Ukraine marks starting point for path ahead - Von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says that the work on the text of a future peace agreement based on US President Donald Trump's proposals is a good starting point for further work to achieve peace for Ukraine.
She made the remarks on Wednesday in Strasbourg, during a plenary session of the European Parliament, speaking on the topic "The EU's position on the proposed plan and the EU's engagement in establishing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine".
Noting that the EU welcomes the efforts led by US President Donald Trump, von der Leyen said: "After months of discussions, it is important that work on the actual text has started. Of course, we know that much more needs to be done. But I believe that thanks to the work of Ukraine, the United States and us Europeans over the last few days in Geneva, we now have a starting point."
She also outlined "some basic principles for Europe as we work with Ukraine, the United States and the Coalition of the Willing on the way forward."
"The first priority is that any agreement ensures a just and lasting peace. And this must ensure real security for Ukraine and Europe. As a sovereign state, there can be no restrictions on Ukraine's armed forces that would make the country vulnerable to future attacks. And this applies to both deterrence and European security, because Ukraine's security is Europe's security," von der Leyen said.
That is why, as the European Commission President stressed, Ukraine needs long-term and reliable security guarantees as part of a broader package of measures to prevent and deter any future attacks by Russia. The agreement must also provide long-term guarantees for European security.
"The second priority is to support Ukraine's sovereignty. We know that Russia's mentality has not changed since Yalta, it sees our continent as a sphere of influence. Therefore, we need to clearly understand that there can be no unilateral division of a sovereign European state, and that borders cannot be changed by force. If we legitimize and formalize the undermining of borders today, we open the door to new wars tomorrow, and we cannot allow this," von der Leyen noted, another priority.
In the same vein, she pointed out that sovereignty also means the ability to choose one's future. "Ukraine has chosen a European destiny, which has already led to partial integration into our single market and our defense industry, and this is only the beginning of the path. The future of Europe is linked to the future of Ukraine, and therefore the future of Ukraine is in the European Union," the President of the European Commission confirmed.
The third priority, von der Leyen called ensuring Ukraine's financial needs. "In the absence of any real intention by Russia to participate in peace negotiations, it is clear that we need to support Ukraine in its self-defense, and this starts with providing the necessary financial means," she stressed.
The fourth priority of the European Commission President is that regardless of the form of the future peace treaty, a significant part of its implementation will depend on the European Union and NATO partners - be it security guarantees or sanctions, financing for the reconstruction of Ukraine, integration into the single market or EU membership.
At the same time, von der Leyen again stated that "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, nothing about Europe without Europe, nothing about NATO without NATO."
"And the last priority that I would like to focus on is one that cannot be forgotten, namely the return of every Ukrainian child abducted by Russia. Tens of thousands of boys and girls, whose fate is unknown, are trapped by Russia, which has driven them into a Russian trap. We will not forget them," the European Commission President assured.
Noting that the situation is complex, volatile and dangerous, von der Leyen expressed her belief that "there is an opportunity to make real progress."
"So far, we have not seen any signs of a real desire on the part of Russia to end this conflict. So we must keep up the pressure on Russia. But our duty is also to do everything that can lead to a just and lasting peace. We know that it will not be easy, but we must find a way to move forward. We must find a way to stop the killings, to help Ukraine rebuild and reconstruct, to bring back children and reunite families. We must find a way to ensure lasting security for Ukraine and for our continent as a whole," she said.
