“It applies to all Member States: those who can should do so quickly, because only then can Ukraine survive its sharp defensive battle against Russia,” Ursula von der Leyen told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. Several European nations seem to be hesitant about exporting heavy weapons, such as tanks or fighter jets, amid concerns that such a move could formally escalate the war in Ukraine into a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO member states. Von der Leyen urged European leaders not to delay rulings. “I do not distinguish between heavy and light weapons,” he said. “Ukraine must get what it needs to defend itself and what it can handle.” Volodymyr Zelenskiy: the situation in Mariupol is “inhuman” – video In his overnight video address to the nation on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy reiterated that Ukraine needs more material support from the West to have a chance to save the besieged city of Mariupol. “Either our partners give Ukraine all the necessary heavy weapons, the planes and, without exaggeration, immediately, so that we can reduce the pressure of the occupiers in Mariupol and break the blockade,” he said, “or we do it through negotiations. , in which the role of our partners must be decisive “. The Czech Republic earlier this month became the first NATO country to send tanks to Ukraine since the start of the war on February 24. Slovakia followed the delivery of an S-300 air defense system, and the United States announced last Wednesday that it would supply helicopters, shells and other equipment to Ukraine. Other countries, such as Germany, have lagged behind on the issue of heavy weapons, widely arguing that they could not do so without reducing their NATO commitments elsewhere or that there should first be a common position among members of the Western alliance. In an official diplomatic note sent to Washington last week, Moscow warned that NATO missions with “more sensitive” weapons systems could have “unpredictable consequences.” In an interview with Bild am Sonntag, Von der Leyen said that European citizens should be mentally prepared for a long-running military conflict in Ukraine. “We have to do everything to end it as soon as possible,” said the German politician. “And at the same time we have to prepare for the fact that the war in the worst case could go on for months, maybe years.” Regarding the sixth EU sanctions package, which is currently being prepared in Brussels, Von der Leyen said: “We continue to look at the banking sector, especially Sberbank, which alone accounts for 37% of the Russian banking sector. And of course we are dealing with energy issues. “ The EU has so far saved Sberbank because, together with Gazprombank, it is one of the main payment channels for Russian oil and gas. The president of the Commission said that reducing Putin’s financial gains should be a priority. “Oil is traded worldwide,” he said. “What should not happen is that Putin has even higher returns in other markets for deliveries that would otherwise go to the EU. Therefore, we are currently developing smart mechanisms so that the next level of sanctions can include oil. ». Von der Leyen said the economic sanctions had a devastating effect on Russia’s economy, with the country’s GDP projected to shrink by 11%. “Russia’s national bankruptcy is only a matter of time,” he said. “With this war, Putin is also destroying his country and the future of his people.”
