Overview
- Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine’s borders cannot be changed by force.
- She rejected any limits on Ukraine’s armed forces that would leave the country vulnerable and undermine European security.
- She asserted that the European Union must be central to securing peace and affirmed Ukraine’s sovereign choice of a European path.
- Her statement coincided with discussions in Geneva among U.S. and Ukrainian officials and security advisers from France, Britain, and Germany on Washington’s proposal.
- She said a credible peace must end the killing without planting the seeds of future conflict and urged the return of abducted Ukrainian children.