On Thursday 3 July, the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, said that if the United States were to stop providing Ukraine with the military support it needs, this “would be a serious setback for Ukraine, the EU and NATO”. And “if there is a gap, I think we need to fill it”, she added at a press conference with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
A few minutes later, the Danish Prime Minister and the President of the Commission met with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the President of the European Council, António Costa. Mr Zelensky said he was counting on continued support from the United States, pointing out that the Europeans could not supply his country with certain equipment, such as Patriot anti-missile systems. While Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump were due to call each other on Thursday, he made it clear that he would be meeting Mr Trump in the next few days.
Over and above the question of US arms, Ms Frederiksen stressed that support for Ukraine, which is “fighting for all of us”, should be stepped up, calling for European support for Kyiv to stop being seen as “a gift or a donation”. Pending a ceasefire and a peace agreement, “we Europeans must provide what is needed on the battlefield”, in particular weapons and air defence systems, Ms Frederiksen stressed.
The Prime Minister went even further: “Instead of thinking of supplying arms to Ukraine as a country, we should think of it as an integral part of our army. Because at the moment, it is the Ukrainian army that is protecting Europe”, she stressed. And she added: “Bringing weapons or any other system to Ukraine is an integral part of the defence of Europe and everyone else”.
Strengthening support for the Ukrainian defence industry. While President Zelensky called for increased funding for his country’s defence industry, Ms von der Leyen encouraged EU Member States to use the money available through the €150 billion ‘SAFE’ investment programme for joint procurement to “buy military equipment and give it to Ukraine, or invest it in Ukraine’s extremely successful defence industry”.
Ms Frederiksen also highlighted the Danish model, which supports Ukrainian industry. “It works very well. They produce faster, better and cheaper than we do”, she explained, calling on other European countries to find funding and increase production in Ukraine. She also said that her country was studying the possibility of supporting Ukrainian production in other European countries, as will be the case in Denmark (see EUROPE 13672/20).
Ms Frederiksen and Ms von der Leyen, along with Mr Costa and Mr Zelensky, called for pressure on Russia to be stepped up at a time when the Member States are still discussing the 18th package of European sanctions (see EUROPE 13669/16). “The EU must further weaken the Russian economy. We need to step up sanctions, stop Russian gas imports and target the Russian shadow fleet”, stressed Ms Frederiksen, who described the sanctions as “crucial”.
“It was a revelation to hear the Russian Minister for Economic Development declare that Russia was on the brink of recession. Interest rates are at 20%, inflation is at 10%, and the overheated Russian war economy is reaching its limits. It is therefore important for us to increase the pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table”, stressed Mrs von der Leyen.
Accession to the EU. The Danish Prime Minister also reiterated her country’s support for Ukraine’s accession to the EU. “Ukraine is part of our European family. It would not be complete without its presence”, she warned, at a time when Budapest is blocking the opening of the first cluster of accession negotiation chapters (see EUROPE 13673/2). Ms Frederiksen also said she was in favour of Ukraine joining NATO - which she believed was not the case for all the Allies - and that it was “all the more important to ensure that Ukraine is a member of the European Union, as it should be”.
For his part, Mr Zelensky warned that “nobody can stop Ukraine” on its path towards the EU.
EU defence. At their press conference, the Danish Prime Minister and the President of the European Commission reiterated that defence was a priority. Ms von der Leyen pointed out that the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU will have to ensure that the ‘SAFE’ programme is implemented. By the end of July, Member States must indicate their interest in participating (see EUROPE 13670/20), something Denmark does not intend to do.
The Commission also hopes to finalise, under the Danish Presidency of the EU Council, the participation of “close allies” such as the United Kingdom and Canada in the SAFE instrument. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)