President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen presented to the members of the European Parliament the priorities that the European Union will defend in the process of developing and concluding a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. As an UNIAN correspondent reports, von der Leyen said this during speech at debates in the European Parliament.

The President of the European Commission emphasized that Ukraine is fighting for its security, freedom, and independence, and this is what is"at stake."

According to her, these are decisive days for Ukraine and Europe, and that is why the European Union must continue to put pressure on Russia until a lasting and just peace is established.

"Europe will stand by Ukraine and support Ukraine at every stage of the way," von der Leyen stressed.

At the same time, according to her, the Russian"manual" for actions has not changed, because from the very beginning Russia believes that it will be able to hold out longer for Ukraine, Europe, and all its allies.

"And every time there is serious progress in negotiations that could lead to real peace, violence escalates," the EC President noted.

She believes that this is a pattern that has been observed on the part of Russia before.

In her opinion, Ukraine is the first step in a much bigger game for the Kremlin.

"For Russia, any peace agreement is about a constant redrawing of the map, it is about a return to relations between great powers and spheres of influence. But for Ukraine and Europe, any peace agreement is about creating a just and peaceful peace. A peace that will stop this conflict and will not sow the seeds for new conflicts in the future. And it is about ensuring a strong and sustainable security architecture for our continent, based on a strong Europe, a strong NATO, a strong transatlantic partnership," von der Leyen emphasized.

In this regard, she assured that it is these principles that the EU will defend together with Ukraine and its allies at every step of the way.

The EC President also assured that Europe supports all efforts to build a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. This peace must stop the killings and guarantee Ukraine's security and sovereign rights in the long term, as well as provide a reliable security architecture for Europe.

For this reason, the EU welcomes the efforts of US President Donald Trump.

"After months of discussions, it is important that work has begun on the actual text. Of course, we know that much more effort is needed. But I believe that thanks to the work of Ukraine, the United States and the Europeans over the last days in Geneva, we now have a starting point. Our united front, our single voice and our shared understanding of the goal must continue to guide the work at the European level," von der Leyen said.

In this regard, she named the main principles for Europe in cooperation with Ukraine, the United States, and the Coalition of the Willing regarding the way forward.

First priority concerns that an agreement to end the war should lead to a just and lasting peace, as well as ensure real security for Ukraine and Europe.

"As a sovereign nation, there can be no restrictions on the Armed Forces of Ukraine that would leave the country vulnerable to future attacks," von der Leyen noted.

The EC President stressed that Ukraine needs reliable and long-term security guarantees as part of"a broader package of measures to deter and prevent any future attacks by Russia."

Second priority concerns support for Ukraine's sovereignty. In particular, we must be clear that there should be no unilateral division of a European sovereign state and that borders cannot be changed by force.

"If we legitimize and formalize the undermining of borders today, we will open the door to new wars tomorrow. We cannot allow this," von der Leyen stated.

Ukraine must also independently choose its own future and has already made a choice in favor of the European Union.

"The European future is connected to the future of Ukraine, and therefore, the future of Ukraine is in the European Union," she added.

The third priority concerns meeting Ukraine's financial needs.

"In the absence of any real intention on the part of Russia to participate in peace negotiations, it is clear that we must support Ukraine in its self-defense," von der Leyen stressed.

She recalled that for the period 2026-2027, the EU Council committed to meeting Ukraine's financial needs. The European Commission presented financing options, including from frozen Russian assets. Now the EC is ready to present the relevant legal test.

The fourth priority assumes that whatever the design of the future peace treaty, a significant part of its implementation will depend on the EU and NATO partners. Therefore, the principle must be adhered to that there can be nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine's participation, about Europe without Europe, and about NATO without NATO. This concerns security guarantees, sanctions, financing of Ukraine's reconstruction, integration into the single market or Ukraine's membership in the EU.

The fifth principle should concern the return to Ukraine of all children abducted by Russia.

The US"peace plan" - what is known

As UNIAN reported, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt notes that following the talks between Ukraine and the United States in Geneva regarding the"peace plan" There are still a few differences.

At the same time, it became known that the Ukrainian delegation reported to the Americans position that any negotiations should begin after a ceasefire in the air, on land and at sea.