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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged to strengthen both military support for Ukraine and sanctions pressure on Russia, saying the European Union will continue increasing pressure on Moscow until it ends its war against Ukraine, UATV English reports.
In a post on X, von der Leyen condemned Russia’s latest large-scale aerial attack, during which more than 400 drones and missiles were launched against Ukrainian territory.
“Last night, the Russian regime once again carried out a reckless aerial assault against civilians, using more than 400 drones and missiles,” she said.
According to the European Commission president, Ukraine urgently requires additional air defense capabilities, which will be among the key topics discussed during this week’s NATO Summit in Ankara.
“Ukraine urgently needs stronger air defense. We will discuss this at the NATO Summit in Ankara this week,” von der Leyen said.
She also highlighted the European Union’s continued financial support for Ukraine’s defense sector.
“Last week, we disbursed the first €4 billion from our €90 billion loan facility to strengthen Ukraine’s defense through advanced drone technologies. Additional funding will follow soon,” she noted.
Von der Leyen confirmed that the European Union is working to finalize its 21st package of sanctions against Russia in response to Moscow’s continued missile and drone attacks.
According to her, Brussels aims to reach agreement on the new restrictive measures within the coming days.
“We are working intensively to agree on the 21st package of sanctions in the coming days,” she said.
The European Commission president stressed that sanctions pressure will continue to increase until Russia ends its aggression.
“We will continue to increase pressure until Moscow stops the bloodshed,” von der Leyen stated.
The announcement comes as Ukraine continues to urge its international partners to tighten sanctions against Russia while expanding military assistance, particularly in the field of air defense.
Ukrainian officials have also expressed hope that the United States will further strengthen sanctions against Russia by codifying key restrictions into law. New bipartisan sanctions initiatives are currently being prepared in the U.S. Senate.
