EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: Putin is accountable for war, not Ukraine that fights for its freedom

October 9, 2024

By Ukraine

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It is unacceptable to blame the Ukrainian people for the war instigated by Russia, as the reason behind criminal aggression lies in the personal thirst for power of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to Ukrinform.

The official emphasized that the people of Ukraine are fighting for freedom, just like the heroes who liberated Central and Eastern Europe from Soviet rule.

“The whole world has witnessed the atrocities of this Russian war. Yet there are still those who blame not the aggressor but those who have been invaded. Not Putin with his thirst for power, but Ukraine’s aspiration for freedom.

So, I want to ask them: would they blame the Hungarians for the Soviet invasion in 1956? Could they in any way blame the Czechs and Slovaks for the Soviet repression in 1968? Could they blame the Lithuanians for the Soviet assault in 1991?

We, Europeans, may have different histories and languages, but there is not a single European language in which peace is synonymous with capitulation, where sovereignty is synonymous with occupation,” emphasized Ursula von der Leyen.

Currently, Ukraine is entering its third war winter, and Russia is doing everything it can to make this winter the hardest of all, she added.

Just last month, Russia launched over 1,300 drones against Ukrainian cities. Throughout the summer, hundreds of rockets rained down on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Countless Ukrainians have been killed or injured. Families have been torn apart, and Ukrainian cities have been destroyed.

“There is only one way to achieve a just peace for Ukraine and for Europe. We must continue to fuel Ukrainian resistance with political, financial, and military support. We will make Russia pay for the damage it has caused,” noted the European Commission President.

The official remarked that the EU will continue to stand by Ukraine in its fight for freedom—this winter and beyond, for as long as necessary.

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