Ukraine, other countries should join EU to reduce influence of Russia, China - Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen said this during a press conference dedicated to the start of Spain's presidency of the EU Council.

During a press conference on the results of the visit of the European Commission Board to Spain, which holds the EU presidency, Ursula von der Leyen noted that further enlargement of the European bloc will require institutional reforms.

"We have to find answers to fundamental questions: how the decision-making process and the use of joint funding will look like, how the directions of common policy will be formed, and what kind of power its citizens want to see in Europe. All these changes will take time, so we need to think about them now," said the European Commission President.

In his turn, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said that the issue of EU enlargement is already being considered. In his opinion, countries should move towards greater federalization of the EU and form more common policies, and Europeans should find an answer to the question of what they want the EU to look like in 4-10 years.

"Basically, it is about the transformation of our society, about digital changes and urgent climate issues. We have to answer the main question - what kind of European Union do we want to see? From my point of view, it should be a more federal European Union," he said.

• On Saturday, July 1, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez arrived in Kyiv on an official visit. He addressed a session of the Verkhovna Rada. In his speech, he emphasized the unity of Ukraine and Europe.

• During his speech in the Verkhovna Rada, Pedro Sánchez also announced an EUR 55 million aid package for Ukraine, the transfer of 4 Leopard tanks and other military equipment.

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez signed a joint declaration, which, among other things, notes Spain's unwavering support for Ukraine's initiative to join the EU and NATO.