Von der Leyen urges faster EU accession for Ukraine, calls to open all negotiation clusters this year

She made the remarks during a speech at the European Parliament on May 7, Suspilne reports.

According to von der Leyen, the EU’s first priority is supporting Ukraine’s defense using a “porcupine strategy.” She noted that Europe has already provided Ukraine with €50 billion in military aid, but now it’s time to shift “from a logic of assistance to a logic of integrating our defense industries.”

“This is a central element of our White Paper on readiness for 2030. We are encouraging our member states to place orders directly with Ukraine’s defense industry, because this is the most effective and economically efficient way to support Ukraine’s military efforts. We are focusing particularly on defense technologies and innovation. Together with Ukraine, our goal is to make it so strong that it becomes indigestible for any potential invader,” she emphasized.

Von der Leyen named phasing out Russian fossil fuels as the second key priority, pointing out that revenue from fossil fuels remains a critical source of funding for Russia’s war machine.

• Correspondent Tetiana Vysotska says that European politicians who support Ukraine claim that it is absolutely realistic for Ukraine to become a member of the EU specifically in 2030.