Speech by President von der Leyen at the Munich Security Conference 2025

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At the heart of this is, of course: defence and the security of Ukraine, our Continent and the wider world. In this room we all feel what is at stake – that this is a moment in history. More great challenges loom. There has been a lot of talk in the last few days. But it is always instructive to look beyond the words. And to recognise that we are just at the beginning of this process.

Let us take stock of the starting positions: Contrast the approach taken by President Zelenskyy to that of President Putin. In the most difficult of circumstances, President Zelenskyy is prepared to work towards a peace that honours the sacrifice of his country and his fallen compatriots. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy said from the start, Ukraine wants peace more than anyone else. One that is just and lasting so that the horrors of the last years are not revisited ever again. On the other hand, President Putin says he is willing to meet, but on what terms? It is up to him to demonstrate that his interest is not to prolong this war. It is up to him to show that he has given up his ambition to destroy Ukraine. And let me be very clear. A failed Ukraine would weaken Europe, but it would also weaken the United States. It would intensify the challenges in the Indo-Pacific and threaten our shared interests. Because what we have seen is - the Authoritarians of this world are carefully watching whether there is any impunity if you invade your neighbour and violate international borders. Or whether there are real deterrents. They are watching us, what actions we choose to take. This is why it is so important that we get this right.

Ukraine needs peace through strength. Europe wants peace through strength. And as President Trump has made clear: the United States is firmly committed to peace through strength. So I believe that by working together, we can deliver that just and lasting peace. There is a lot that Europe already has brought to the table. Historic amounts, actually. Financially and militarily the overall support amounts to EUR 134 billion. That is more than anybody else has contributed. This includes USD 52 billion of military assistance – on par with the US. And we have put in place hard hitting sanctions, substantially weakening Russia's economy. We have broken one taboo after another and smashed our reliance on Russian gas, making us more resilient – permanently. And we are about to do more. We are working with Ukraine on their EU accession. Because Ukraine is part of our European family. And this is where their future lies.

Full speech is available at the link: https://europa.eu/!BFmmgN