Davos, Von der Leyen: “Ukraine must win the war with Russia”. Sánchez: “Putin’s is an offense to Europe”

FROM THE ENROLLMENT TO DAVOS. “Ukraine must win this war.” The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, takes up the message launched yesterday by Volodymyr Zelensky during the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos. And Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who spoke a few minutes earlier, used similar tones, considering Vladimir Putin’s move “a direct offense to Europe”, announcing that Finland and Sweden will participate in the NATO summit in June. What is certain is that resources will be needed both to help the country invaded by Russia, says Von der Leyen, and then we will have to think about reconstruction. Also using Russian funds. This is why Brussels is seeking the legal framework to initiate the confiscation of assets seized from the Russian oligarchs and of the reserves of the Central Bank of Moscow. All without forgetting the next emergency, the food one.

Vladimir Putin’s aggression against Ukraine must turn into a “strategic failure”. The number one of the EU Commission did not mince words in defining the objectives that the West must set towards the Russian Federation. And it is symbolic that such a harsh speech comes on the third mesiversary of the invasion, which began on February 24th. Von der Leyen explained that you shouldn’t just provide immediate support. We need to start thinking about what will be next. «As President Zelensky said: the amount of work is colossal. But together we can and will win the challenge. That is why we have proposed a reconstruction platform which will be led by Ukraine and the European Commission because we will combine reforms with investment. The platform invites global contributions: from any country that cares about Ukraine’s future, from international financial institutions and the private sector, ”he explained. With this in mind, support for Ukraine is reiterated «in pursuing its European path. Ukraine belongs to our European family. Ukrainians held out in the face of brutal violence. They defended their freedom and humanity. We stay with them. This is a decisive moment for the democracies of the world ».

However, the president of the Commission has not forgotten the repercussions that the war in Ukraine is causing. Both on a geopolitical level and on a social and economic level. First of all, Europe’s energy dependence on Moscow. «Last week the European Commission presented REPowerEU. This is a € 300 billion plan to phase out Russian fossil fuels and rapidly move forward with the green transition. Today, nearly a quarter of the energy we consume in Europe comes from renewable sources. Through REPowerEU, we will practically double this share to 45% in 2030 ”, Ursula said. But there is more. The counter-moves, at least on paper, have been announced at the WEF. “Take, for example, what is happening in the North Sea. Last week, four European countries joined forces to harness offshore wind energy. They have decided to quadruple their offshore wind capacity by 2030. This will mean: the wind farms in the North Sea will cover the annual energy consumption of over 50 million homes ”. In other words, about a quarter of all European households. The guideline will then also be that of diversification from fossil fuels arriving from Russia. It will be a long process, Von der Leyen has never denied it, but it will be necessary to achieve the environmental sustainability objectives that the EU has set itself.

Then, there is the third director of Ursula’s speech. Food safety. As of today, as VDL told the Davos Forum, there are 20 million tons of grain blocked in Ukraine. The usual export was 5 million tons of wheat per month. It is under one million. The signs of a growing food crisis are evident. Therefore, urgent action is needed. “This is why I am working with Egyptian President al-Sisi to address the repercussions of the war with an event on food security and solutions in Europe and the region. It is time to put an end to unhealthy addictions. It’s time to make new connections. It is time to replace the old chains with new links, ”she said, invoking a spirit of extreme international cooperation in the Mediterranean basin.

Previously, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez also played on emotions. “I was a teenager when the wall fell and you never thought you would have to witness the bombings and massacres on our territory,” he told the Forum. It is clear, he stressed, that “history is not over” as Francis Fukuyama predicted and now no crime can go unpunished. Spain, he assured, will continue to support Kiev’s courage and determination, without neglecting to seek a cure for the dramatic effects that the conflict is having on the millions of citizens who are falling into poverty. “Putin’s attack is a direct offense to Europe,” he said. And Europe must respond with greater unity. Like NATO, after all. “Sweden and Finland will be at the Alliance summit in Madrid in June,” he said. Continental defense integration is moving forward, while European defense must be strengthened in parallel. “We need to reduce our strategic dependence,” is the message. Which is true for safety, as well as for raw materials and energy.