In a bold proposal, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen advocates using frozen Russian assets’ profits to procure military supplies for Ukraine. Speaking before the European Parliament, she urged a discussion on leveraging these windfall gains for a crucial cause, emphasizing that it could significantly enhance the safety of Ukraine and the entire European region. Von der Leyen acknowledged the potential threat of war, emphasizing the need for proactive measures, including the urgent modernization of member states’ armed forces.
Von der Leyen provided a glimpse of the upcoming European Industrial Defence Strategy, set to be unveiled in the coming weeks, with a focus on collaborative procurement. Highlighting the urgency to turbo-charge defense industrial capacity in the next five years, she emphasized the importance of developing the next generation of battle-winning capabilities. Despite these efforts, she underlined that increased European defense initiatives would not undermine the significance of the NATO alliance, asserting that a more sovereign Europe is vital to strengthening NATO in the realm of defense.
