Europe is changing its attitude toward Ukraine: what Ursula von der Leyen said

12.09.2025, 15:01 eurointegration.com.ua

Ursula von der Leyen’s programmatic State of the Union 2025 address, delivered on 10 September 2025, was the most militant of all her annual speeches as President of the European Commission.

Its key message: Europe must fight – for its place in a world where many major centers of power treat it either with indifference or with open hostility.

As expected, Ukraine was at the center of her speech. But this time – not only as a victim of aggression deserving pity and support.

Ukraine’s military strength is now seen as part of a broader battle for Europe’s future.

Read more about von der Leyen’s speech and its main messages in the article by Tetiana Vysotska, a European Pravda correspondent in Brussels: Europe will fight: what changes for the EU and Ukraine Ursula von der Leyen announced.

So, in the 2025 State of the Union, the focus is no longer on pity, sympathy and aid to Ukraine, but on practical joint action: building industrial and military infrastructure on a continental scale to defend Europe’s values and convictions, with Kyiv as an integral part.

If in 2022 the EU was talking about housing for refugees and sanctions, in 2025 the topics are a drone alliance and robust military power. Even sanctions are now framed as a proactive tool of real pressure on the Kremlin.

"Europe is in a fight. A fight for a continent that is whole and at peace. For a free and independent Europe. A fight for our values and our democracies. A fight for our liberty and our ability to determine our destiny for ourselves. Make no mistake – this is a fight for our future," von der Leyen began in her State of the Union 2025.

According to her, the war in Ukraine must, of course, end with a "just and lasting peace," but that requires intensifying pressure on Moscow – otherwise peace will never come.

She announced the 19th sanctions package, support for Ukraine and its armed forces and proposed a new mechanism of "reparations loans."

This mechanism would finance Ukraine from Russia’s frozen assets.

Under von der Leyen’s plan, Ukraine would receive the funds it needs immediately. Kyiv would start repaying the loan only once Moscow pays reparations – in other words, Russian money would ultimately be covered by Russian payments.

Another innovation in the speech was the concept of Ukraine’s "Qualitative Military Edge," which foresees systematic investment support for the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The symbol of this edge will be drones.

Therefore, Europe is establishing together with Ukraine a "Drone Alliance" to scale Ukrainian innovations up to industrial production.

"Ukraine has the ingenuity. What it needs now is scale. And together, we can provide it: so that Ukraine keeps its edge, and Europe strengthens its own," von der Leyen said.

The development of a defence industry is thus becoming one of the EU’s key policies.

In this context, the Commission President recalled the Readiness 2030 plan, which aims to mobilise up to €800 billion in defence investments by 2030, and its component – the SAFE program worth €150 billion for joint arms procurement, including joint projects with Ukraine.

Of course, von der Leyen also spoke about Ukraine’s future in the EU – alongside Moldova and the Balkans.

And the most striking point on enlargement was her idea that the time has come to abolish individual member states’ veto rights on key issues.

Thus, from a neutral "peace project," the EU is now moving rapidly toward building a strong defence union – one that is forced to fight, and to win.

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