During a visit to Canada’s parliament on Tuesday to increase support for Ukraine, European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Europe would never tolerate Russian threats to its security.
“We will never accept that a military power with fantasies of empire rolls its tanks across an international border,” she said in a speech more than one year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
She continued, “This threat to European security and to the very foundation of our international society will never be accepted” by the 27-nation bloc.
Von der Leyen reiterated calls for Russia to “pay for its crime of aggression” after suggesting in November to establish a specialized court to prosecute such crimes. He also urged “steadfast military and economic assistance” for Ukraine.
In addition, von der Leyen praised Ukrainian women soldiers who “did not care and began joining the army anyways” despite being prohibited from serving in combat roles before the conflict. This was on the eve of International Women’s Day.
“This is not only a war in Ukraine. It is also a war on human rights, and it is a war on women’s rights,” she said to applause, citing UN accusations that “Russia is using rape and sexual violence as part of its military strategy in Ukraine.”
She asserted that Ukrainian women “are battling back,” noting that the proportion of them enlisting in the military has doubled since hostilities began. “These women also smashed the glass ceiling directly over the head of the Russian invaders.”
Prior to this, von der Leyen and Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, promised to deliver generators to Ukraine, which has experienced numerous attacks on its power infrastructure.
In addition, Trudeau announced the extension to October of Canada’s mission to train Ukrainian combat engineers in Poland, which was originally scheduled to end shortly.
After spending several days in Canada, von der Leyen will depart for the United States, where she will be greeted by President Joseph Biden on Friday.
