European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen stressed the need for the European Union member states to be ready for "the risks of war," beginning with the urgent task of "rebuilding, replenishing, and modernizing" the bloc's armed forces.
"The threat of war may not be imminent, but it is not impossible," von der Leyen underscored, stressing that Europe should focus on developing and manufacturing "the next generation of battle-winning operational capabilities." "That means turbo-charging our defense industrial capacity in the next five years," she highlighted.
"The defense industry in Europe needs access to capital," the Commission chief said. Von der Leyen announced that the European Union will set up an office for defense innovation in Kiev, which will bring Ukraine "closer" to Europe, adding that frozen Russian assets should be used for the joint purchase of military equipment for Kiev.