President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, stated that supporting Kyiv and strengthening European defense readiness are top priorities for the so-called “Alliance of the Willing,” a group of countries aiming to increase pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.
Von der Leyen said she had briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders of the coalition on the priorities of the European plan. She noted that the proposal to use frozen Russian assets through a compensation mechanism for Ukraine is “complex,” but would raise the cost of the war for Moscow.
“The longer Putin continues his war, shedding blood, taking lives, and destroying Ukrainian infrastructure, the higher the cost for Russia will be,” said the Commission President.
She added that the ties within Europe are “stronger than ever” and that member states will continue “standing together, supporting Ukraine, and defending Europe.”
