European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered sharp remarks about Russian President Vladimir Putin during her visit on Sunday to the Polish-Belarusian border.
“He is a predator,” von der Leyen stated. “We must maintain a sense of urgency because we know that Putin has not changed and will not change.”
Von der Leyen is currently on a seven-country tour of so-called frontline states, aimed at reassuring them of the EU’s commitment to resisting Russian aggression. Her visit coincides with intensified efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to mediate a ceasefire in Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which has now entered its fourth year.
Besides Poland, von der Leyen’s itinerary includes Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria, and Romania—countries that border either Russia or Belarus. The tour is described as her most significant diplomatic initiative on EU security and defense since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022.
At Ozierany Małe, near a newly completed electrical border fence, von der Leyen was joined by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who compared the border’s importance to the historic fight against Soviet dominance.
“This border is as important as the dream of liberation from Soviet rule 45 years ago,” Tusk said, referring to the anniversary of the historic Solidarity Movement agreement of August 31, 1980. He emphasized that Poland, Europe, NATO, and the United States must show strength, determination, and solidarity against what he called a “new version of the empire of evil.”
Tusk further noted that von der Leyen’s presence was aimed at securing broader EU support: “She came here to gather arguments to convince all of Europe that this border must be protected and that European funds must be invested in it.”
Despite security officials recommending the press conference be canceled due to the presence of Belarusian troops nearby, Tusk and von der Leyen proceeded. “We are also here to demonstrate true European determination,” Tusk said.
Von der Leyen announced that in the coming weeks the European Commission will prepare a plan for additional investments in the EU’s defense capacities, which will be discussed at the European Council in early October.
Later on Sunday, von der Leyen is scheduled to travel to Bulgaria for talks with Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov, followed by visits to Romania, where she will meet President Nicușor Dan, and Lithuania, where she will be received by President Gitanas Nausėda.
