'If freedom has a name, its name is Ukraine': EU President slams 'terrifying' Russian war

Amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war on Wednesday in Brussels, European Union President Ursula von der Leyen said that the most valuable asset is our unity. The European Union President was giving her speech at the EU's council meeting that was held in Brussels on Wednesday. While referring to the current ongoing crisis in Ukraine, she again voiced support for war-stricken Ukraine.

While speaking about the situation in Ukraine, Ursula von der Leyen said, "Every day we watch in horror the images coming from besieged Ukrainian cities, the devastation of Mariupol, Kharkiv, and the outskirts of Kyiv."

She called the siege of several Ukrainian cities by Russian armed forces and the continuous shelling "terrifying". The EU President also shared the humanitarian crisis that the embattled cities of Ukraine are going through.

"Fresh food has become a luxury. Hospitals and pharmacies are running out of medicines. Hundreds of people have been detained by Russian occupation forces," Ursula von der Leyen said.

'If freedom has a name, its name is Ukraine'

In the European Council meeting, the EU President said that even after facing attacks and cruelty from Russian aggression, the people of Ukraine are still protesting and still fighting. She said that thousands of Ukrainians are taking streets every day to protest against Russia's invasion. She also mentioned the conditions in Kherson, Berdyansk and Melitopol, where Ukrainians are waving their blue and yellow flags on the faces of the Russian soldiers.

"And they have not stopped, even after Russian soldiers have beaten them and shot some of them down. Honourable Members, if freedom has a name, its name is Ukraine. And the Ukrainian flag is today the flag of freedom," EU President Ursula von der Leyen.

Aiding Ukraine and member states

Speaking about the horrifying situation in several parts of Ukraine, the EU president said that European Union member states agreed to assign 1 billion Euros for security assistance to the Ukrainian fighters amid the ongoing war. She further added that the aim is to make this was a strategic failure of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "All our current efforts are aimed at making this war a strategic failure for Putin," she said. 

Ursula von der Leyen also proposed on Wednesday to accelerate EUR 3.4 billion to the member states that are showing such "exceptional solidarity" with Ukraine.

Energy policy is also a security policy

Ahead of the meeting with US president Joe Biden, Ursula emphasised the security of Europe as the Russian aggression intensifies. She said the consequences of this war on Europe's security architecture will be far-reaching. As Europe imports Russian energy, its dependency on Russian fuels and gases is the cause of contention amid the ongoing war.

Calling energy policy a security policy, the EU President urged member states to reduce dependency on Russian energy. She said, "The Commission has proposed measures that would allow us to significantly reduce our gas imports from Russia."

Speaking about her meeting with US President on the next day, Ursula said, "Tomorrow, I will discuss with President Biden how to prioritise LNG deliveries from the United States to the European Union in the coming months. We are aiming at having a commitment for additional supplies for the next two winters."

Urging the member states to show unity, Ursula said, "We are proposing common gas procurement and stricter rules for storage. Because instead of outbidding each other and driving prices up, we should pull our common weight and start buying gas together, as Europeans, not 27 different Member States."

US President Joe Biden is on a trip to Europe and will meet important European Leaders including EU president Ursula on Thursday.