Strasbourg, 7 May 2025
At the EU Parliament, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis outlines the EU’s strategy for a peace that deters aggression, ends fossil dependence, and anchors Ukraine in the European Union.
A historic turning point for Europe
Eighty years after the end of World War II, Europe again faces a defining choice. Speaking at the European Parliament, President Ursula von der Leyen and Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis made clear: the war in Ukraine is not just a conflict at the EU’s borders—its outcome will shape the continent’s peace and security for decades. A “bad peace” would embolden future aggression. A just and lasting one must enshrine Ukraine’s sovereignty, restore its territorial integrity, and secure its path toward the European Union.
From aid to deterrence: integrating Ukraine’s defence
To help Ukraine resist and deter future attacks, the EU is transitioning from aid to defence integration. Von der Leyen laid out the “porcupine strategy”: making Ukraine so resilient that no invader could hope to digest it. Over €50 billion in military support has already been provided, but the focus now shifts to integrating Ukrainian and EU defence industries—particularly in tech and battlefield innovation. Dombrovskis stressed that Ukraine’s defence sector is becoming central to Europe’s collective security, especially for frontline Member States.
Ending Russia’s fossil grip—for good
Europe’s energy independence is now a core security priority. Both leaders underscored the dramatic cut in Russian fossil fuel imports—from €12 billion per month in early 2022 to €1.8 billion today. Yet both warned against any return to dependency. Von der Leyen announced the EU’s new roadmap: banning all new fossil contracts with Russia by end-2025, and ending all imports—including LNG—by 2027. Dombrovskis echoed the message: decoupling from Russian energy is vital for Europe’s sovereignty and strategic autonomy.
Making Russia pay: economic pressure and reparations
The EU continues to ramp up political and financial pressure on Moscow. Sanctions remain in force, and under the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans Initiative, up to €45 billion in proceeds from Russia’s frozen central bank assets will help finance Ukraine’s recovery. “Russia is already beginning to pay for the destruction it caused,” said Dombrovskis. Combined EU and Member State support now totals nearly €150 billion—more than any other global partner.
Ukraine’s EU future: the ultimate peace guarantee
EU membership is more than an aspiration for Ukraine—it is a strategic security guarantee. Von der Leyen confirmed that the Commission is working to open all accession clusters in 2025. Ukraine’s path to the EU is seen as the anchor of lasting peace, just as previous enlargements have stabilized Europe in earlier eras. Both leaders reaffirmed: the Union’s door remains open—and bringing Ukraine inside is not just an act of solidarity, but a blueprint for long-term stability.
(E-Summary by Insight EU with ChatGPT)
Speech by President von der Leyen at the EP plenary debate on EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine
Strasbourg, 7 May 2025
Thank you, Vice-President,
Minister,
Honourable Members,
This week we celebrate 80 years since the end of the Second World War. On 8 May 1945 tens of thousands of French men and women walked out on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, overwhelmed with joy. Celebrations were held across Europe, from London, to the Benelux countries, to Copenhagen. The nightmare was finally over. The events of that time had profound consequences for all Europeans. For half of our continent, it marked the beginning of the process of reconstruction and reconciliation. But for the other half, the liberation from Nazism did not bring freedom. It was followed by occupation and oppression. It was a real turning point for Europe.
Eighty years on, we stand at another decisive moment in the history of our continent. The war in Ukraine will eventually come to a halt, but the way the war ends will shape our continent for generations to come. The future of Ukrainians is at stake – but so is ours. A bad deal could encourage Russia to come back for more. It would be a recipe for more instability and insecurity. Instead, a just and lasting peace could usher in a new era of prosperity for Ukraine and help us build a new security architecture in Europe. A just and lasting peace, that ensures Ukraine’s sovereignty, respects its territorial integrity, and upholds its European aspirations. This is the crossroads we face, and Europe has a huge stake. So we must do our utmost to strengthen Ukraine’s hand.
Because we have all seen how Russia negotiates: they bomb; they bully; they bury promises beneath rubble. Putin wants to force Ukraine into accepting the unacceptable, so the task we face is to help Ukraine stand strong, defy Putin’s intimidations, and engage in peace talks based on its own conditions. Today, I would like to focus on how we can do so, and on three priorities for our action. First, support Ukraine’s defence. Second, complete the phase out of Russian fossil fuels. And third, accelerate Ukraine’s accession path to our Union.
Let me start with the military side – the so-called ‘porcupine strategy’. Russia is a permanent threat for the whole of Europe, so Ukraine must be strong enough to deter any future attack – with deterrence through denial. Europe has already supported Ukraine with EUR 50 billion in military aid, but now we must move from a logic of aid to a logic of integration of our defence industries. This is the central element in our White Paper “Readiness 2030”. We are encouraging our Member States to place orders directly in Ukraine’s defence industry, because this is the most effective and cost-efficient way to support Ukraine’s military efforts. We are focusing in particular on defence tech and innovation. Throughout the war, Ukraine has used technology to shift the dynamics on the battlefield, even and especially when Russian forces were stronger in numbers. But we also know that Russia has also learnt from the war. Our goal together with Ukraine is to be so strong that Ukraine is indigestible for any potential invader.
Honourable Members,
As we support Ukraine, we must also continue to undermine Russia’s ability to wage war. This is my second point. Fossil fuel revenues remain a key source of funding for the Russian war machine. Let me give you two figures: at the beginning of the war, we spent EUR 12 billion per month on Russian fossil fuels, today we are down to EUR 1.8 billion per month. So, it is our core security interest to stop financing Putin’s war-chest. And for this, we must stop spending billions on Russian energy imports. I know that there is a clear majority in the European Parliament in favour of this, last November, you voted to ban all imports of Russian fossil fuels; the Polish Presidency is also working hard for it. But some are still saying that we should re-open the tap of Russian gas and oil. This would be a mistake of historic dimensions. And we would never let it happen. This has to be very clear. Russia has proven, time and again, that it is not a reliable supplier. Putin has already cut gas flows to Europe in 2006, 2009, 2014, 2021, and throughout the war. How many times before they learn the lesson? Dependency on Russia is not only bad for our security, but also for our economy. Our energy prices cannot be dictated by a hostile neighbour.
The good news is, we have achieved incredible progress since the start of the war. That is the dimension, EUR 12 billion per month at the beginning, now down to EUR 1.8 billion. Thanks to energy savings and renewables, we have already cut our gas imports from Russia by 60 bcm per year. And thanks to our partners, we have diversified away from Russia. We have not forgotten, how, in the energy crisis, the United States immediately stepped in with LNG; and how we received additional pipeline gas from Norway; and how countries further away, like Japan and South Korea, worked very closely with us on global markets, to ensure our immediate energy security. If you put it in percentage numbers, we went from 45% of our gas imports coming from Russia, down to 13% now. We went from one-in-five barrels of oil from Russia down to one-in-fifty barrels of oil now – a ten-fold reduction, but we have to go on further. We also have to admit that we see, since the beginning of last year that energy imports from Russia have slightly bounced back. So, we need a final push to phase out Russian fossil fuels. And this is the goal of the roadmap that we presented yesterday. As part of it, we will propose a ban on new contracts with Russia as well as on imports on the spot market, by the end of 2025 the latest. We will work to ban all remaining imports of Russian gas, both pipeline and LNG, by no later than the end of 2027. And we will also tighten controls on Russia’s shadow fleet. The era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe is coming to an end.
Honourable Members,
My last point is that we must accelerate Ukraine’s path towards membership of our Union. This is not just Ukraine’s aspiration. Accession to the European Union can be the strongest security guarantee. And it was a central focus of my latest meeting with President Zelenskyy in Rome. We are working hard with Ukraine to open the first cluster of accession talks, and to open all clusters in 2025. Ukraine joining our Union is the greatest guarantee of a just and lasting peace. In our history, peace and European integration have always gone hand in hand. So let us bring Ukraine inside our Union. Let us walk the path of peace together.
Slava Ukraini, and long live Europe.
Source – EU Commission
Remarks by Commissioner Dombrovskis at the European Parliament on EU support for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace in Ukraine
Strasbourg, 7 May 2025
Madam Chair, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,
Thank you for this important debate.
Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has entered its fourth year.
While the geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, the European Union remains unwavering in its support for Ukraine. We stand firmly in defence of our shared values and the security of our continent.
Together, we are shaping a new and more resilient European security architecture.
At the core of these efforts lies the pursuit of a just and lasting peace – one that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and affirms its European aspirations.
There can be no security in Europe without lasting peace in Ukraine.
This imperative is especially pronounced for the EU’s eastern Member States, which are on the front line in confronting Russian disinformation, acts of sabotage in the Baltic Sea, and cyberattacks.
These countries have therefore assumed a leading role in supporting Ukraine and strengthening their own defence capabilities.
The European Union continues to honour its commitments.
We are providing Ukraine with the necessary support to resist Russian aggression, and we are intensifying political and economic pressure on Russia to halt its war machine.
Sanctions against Russia remain in place, and we are committed to maintaining and expanding this pressure.
We are also using profits from Russia’s immobilised central bank assets to support Ukraine, under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans Initiative worth of EUR 45 billion.
This means the Russia is already beginning to pay for the destruction it has caused in Ukraine.
As underscored by the President, we are also moving decisively towards the complete phase-out of Russian fossil fuels, ending Europe’s strategic dependence and reinforcing our energy security.
Our support for Ukraine is comprehensive: political, financial, economic, and military.
Also, Ukraine and its defence industry is a significant part of Europe’s security architecture.
The Ukraine’s EU accession process represents one of the strongest long-term security guarantees the EU can offer.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the European Union and its Member States have provided nearly €150 billion in support to Ukraine – more than any other global partner.
This is not only a demonstration of solidarity; it reflects a deep conviction that Ukraine belongs in the European family.
I wish to thank the European Parliament for its consistent and resolute support in this endeavour.
Let us continue our joint efforts to support Ukraine and to bring Ukraine fully into our Union.
Thank you.
Source – EU Commission