Strasbourg, France: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union is significantly increasing its financial and military support for Ukraine while preparing a new round of sanctions against Russia.
During her recent State of the Union speech, von der Leyen stated that the bloc is working with allies on a 19th set of sanctions. These measures are designed to accelerate the phasing out of Russian fossil fuels and target Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The EU has already committed up to 170 billion euros in financial and military aid and is developing new systems to ensure sustained assistance. This includes a proposal for a “Reparations Loan” that would use frozen Russian assets to provide funding for Ukraine.
Von der Leyen also announced the formation of a “Drone Alliance” with Ukraine to help maintain its military edge, which includes funding for real-time space monitoring and a “drone wall” on Europe’s eastern border, as proposed by the Baltic nations.
In response to the EU’s plans, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that sanctions have been “useless” in pressuring Russia to change its position on Ukraine. He emphasized that Russia will continue its military operation until a diplomatic solution ensures the nation’s security.
