Europe Must Be Responsible for Its Own Security: Ursula von der Leyen

Europe must be responsible for its own security. This was stated by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on December 17 in the European Parliament.

"This is no longer an alternative. It is mandatory," she said.

According to Reuters, she emphasized that Europe "cannot allow others to dictate its worldview," adding that despite the U.S. national security strategy indicating a trend of a declining share of Europe in global GDP, the United States is on the "same path."

She stressed the need for Europe to strengthen its positions on the global stage.

Speaking about Ukraine, von der Leyen highlighted the necessity of providing assistance to that country. "We need to decide which path we want to choose, what route we want to take. But one thing is very clear. We must make a decision concerning funding for Ukraine in the next two years," she stated.