‘Steel Porcupine’: Ukraine’s Defense Must Be Unstoppable, Says EU Chief

On August 17, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized in Brussels that on the path to establishing peace in Ukraine, it is unacceptable to limit the capabilities of its armed forces or hinder the receipt of military aid from partners.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Ukrinform.

It is worth recalling that on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and participated in a video conference of the Coalition of the Willing.

The President of the European Commission emphasized that Europe has been united in its support for Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's invasion and will continue to defend it, providing strong security guarantees for lasting peace.

Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that Ukraine must be strong enough to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. “There can be no restrictions on the Armed Forces of Ukraine, cooperation with other countries, or assistance from other countries,” she said, adding that Ukraine must become a steel porcupine that the enemy cannot cope with.

European Commission President also confirmed the Coalition's commitment to supporting security guarantees for Ukraine, emphasizing the EU's role in strengthening Europe's defense capabilities and Ukraine's industrial base, in particular through the SAFE instrument for defense needs and drone production.

She noted that Europe will continue to exert diplomatic and economic pressure on Russia and is preparing a 19th package of sanctions. She added that frozen Russian assets will be used to benefit Ukraine in order to force President Putin to the negotiating table.

“These are difficult times. Only Ukraine can choose its own destiny. But Ukraine can always count on Europe,” von der Leyen concluded.

At the same time, after talks with the head of the European Commission, the President of Ukraine emphasized that real negotiations should be conducted precisely along the line of contact supported by European partners.

“We need real negotiations, which means that they can begin where the front line is now,” Zelenskyy said, stressing the impossibility of giving up territory or exchanging land in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine.

He added that key territorial issues should only be discussed at the level of Ukrainian and Russian leaders in a trilateral format involving Ukraine, the US, and Russia, but Moscow is currently not showing any willingness to engage in such negotiations.

“At present, Russia is not showing any signs that trilateral negotiations will take place,” Zelenskyy said.

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