VON DER LEYEN ALLOCATES RUSSIAN FROZEN ASSETS – To fund EU defence industry
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today that part of a reparations loan to Ukraine, proposed by the EU Commission and backed by frozen Russian assets, would be allocated for defence procurement within Europe.
Von der Leyen claims that the proposal did not involve seizing the frozen assets. , as she stated that Ukraine would repay the loan if Russia would pay reparation.
In a statement together with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte ahead of the EU commissioners security meeting, the EU chief also said that Europe must deliver a “strong and united response” to Russia’s drone incursions at EU borders by immediately taking actions to create a drone wall as part of the Eastern Flank Watch, moving together forward with Ukraine and with NATO.
Rutte, who stated that the drone role initiative is timely and necessary, further added that NATO “cannot spend millions of euros or dollars on missiles to take out the drones that only cost a couple of thousand dollars.
Ursula von der Leyen also stated in a social media post today that she welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace proposal to end the nearly two-year-old war in Gaza.
