EU Price president: Western allies must ‘step up’ protection force encourage to Ukraine

Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska, opened the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with this stark warning. — — We are facing the threat of a collapse of the world as we know it. The way that we are accustomed to it.

Or to what we aspire this war can go further and make crisis wider if the aggressor does not lose. This while back home her people suffer stepped up horrors. And mass killings by the aggressor Russia. The number of residents.

Killed by a cruise missile strike on their apartment block in De Dnipro has now risen to at least 45 people, something her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, has called a war crime. Russia's war in Ukraine is topic number one.

At the Davos summit Leaders, of course, will also discuss climate change and the cost of living crises. But will the forum be more than just a talking shop? One voice carries a lot of weight. My first guest, European Commission.

President Ursula von der Leyen, recently named the most powerful woman in the world by Forbes magazine. She joined me right after delivering a speech that was designed to spur action and to speed up support to Ukraine. President von.

Der Leyen, welcome to the program. Thank you very much for having me. Can I ask you your assessment? I know your speech was devoted a lot to the war in Ukraine. Russia has had some maybe symbolic psychological successes, particularly around solidarity, etc. and it has stepped up its war.

Against civilians. The terrible death of at least 40 people from a residential attack in De Dnipro. How do you assess do you think Russia is getting back onto the front foot or still on the back foot? I think Russia is still on the back foot because first of all, Russia.

Never accounted for the incredible courage of the Ukrainian people and Russia never accounted for the strong support the international community would give Ukraine. The European Union is supporting.

With whatever it takes Ukraine because we know that Ukraine is not only fighting against Russia and for its sovereignty and integrity of its territory, but also for the respect for the international law and the fundamental rights.

And therefore, we are deeply concerned. Whatever it takes, we have to support Ukraine. So those are great words. And for sure, the EU and NATO partners, the United States, have done a huge amount. But we're hearing from everybody,.

Including beleaguered Ukrainian soldiers, that is just not enough for this onslaught right now. They still don't have the air defense systems. They still don't have all the artillery or the ammunition that they need. And this is what Olena Zelensky, the first lady,.

Told you all at Davos today. You're all united by the fact that you are really very influential — But there's also something that separates you — and that, is that not all of you are using this influence,.

— or sometimes you use it in a way that divides even more so. President von der Leyen, that's a pretty strong, frankly, accusation from a grateful nation,.

It has to be said. And we know that there is a race against time. And we know that there's an argument in your country, Germany. You're a former defense minister. Do you believe that the German chancellor should deliver the leopard tanks to join what other European countries.

Are doing now? As you know, the European level, the European Union does not own any military capability. But I've said from the onset of this atrocious war that Ukraine should get all the military equipment it needs and it can handle.

And this also includes the advance system. So I hope very much that in Ramstein, when the meeting is I think it's the 21st of January that there will be a big move forward and the decision taken that is so necessary overall. Ukraine.

Also says that it has gotten a lot of support and that is good. So but yes, there has to be we need to step up in that. Do you I mean, again, you're the former defense minister of Germany. I know you're currently.

The president of the European Commission. But, you know, Chancellor Schultz, you know these people. Will you be urging him to make that decision on behalf of Europe and on behalf of what you all say is to defend Ukraine to the end, that Putin must win.

And that your credibility is on the line right now? Yeah, but I do not have to convince the head of state and government because they know that. Of course, we talk a lot about this topic. It has been, for example,.

Every time a subject that the European Council and indeed there is a need to step up. Now, the deliveries we just made the decision that we will deliver €18 billion in 20, 23 financial support. That is the responsibility.

For example of the commission. Yesterday we dispatched the first tranche of 3 billion for the month of January and February. So in many different urgent fields we are stepping up. And again, I think Ukraine should get that material it needs and it can handle.

I want to ask you about sanctions because again you've been very clear. You've done sanctions after sanctions against against Russia. But we are hearing and I'm sure you've seen the reports that despite that, a lot of these proscribed proscribed goods.

Are actually getting through by road, and especially according to latest reports from the country of Georgia, How does one stop Russia getting what is what it needs, even under sanctions? Yes, we have issued nine rounds of sanctions.

And these sanctions are biting. They are crippling the Russian economy and starving at all of the modern technologies that is working. But we also see that, of course, there is the attempt of circumvention and we cannot accept that.

We have already started to say that we are going to list those people who take technologies or goods from the European Union and bring them into Russia. But the 10th package of sanctions will be mainly focused on closing these loopholes, on.

Finishing off with these circumvention and having massive consequences for those who circumvent the sanctions of the European Union. So the 10th package will be on that. You just mentioned the United States and and Washington is watching you and your speech very closely. There's a U.S.

Delegation there in Davos. You are meant to be having a meeting. I don't know whether you did to try to calm your fury at what you call protectionism or what European nations are calling protectionism because of the US you know, the I.R.A.

Law, the inflation reduction bill, you're very worried about your car sector and others, main countries like France and Germany are very, very worried. Is there any resolution to that? And do you see it happening? Yes.

Well, first of all, I must say we welcome that there is the Inflation Reduction Act, which is basically massive investment in the green transition. That's good. Let's join forces there as you know, the European Union.

Has its European Green Deal and our massive investment program of 800 billion for next generation EU. So it is good that the US are also stepping up their investment in the green transition. There's one point where we have to go into deeper discussions.

And that is we want to compete on quality, but there needs to be a level playing field. And therefore, indeed, I am working with the United States on an agreement that these investments on both sides of the Atlantic.

Should be a joint effort to bring forward the clean tech industry to boost the clean tech industry. And on our side, on the European Union, we will come forward with a Green Deal industrial plan, which basically looks at what can we do in a regulatory environment to speed up the deployment of clean tech?.

What can we do in the on the field of funding and state aid? What do we have to do for skilling people and how can we improve trade for the clean tech? So this is the Green Deal Industrial Plan, which is basically the answer to the IRA. And as I said, we work.

With the United States to have a real level playing field, to compete on content, on substance, on quality for the clean tech sector. We need the Senator Joe Manchin. You know, the centrist.

Democrat says that EU worries were overwrought and hyper hypocritical. And he's already told the French president that the IRA could never hurt Europe. What is your response to that? Well, I like this mutual understanding that we are in this fight.

Against climate change together and that we know crucial will be the clean tech industry, wind power generation, solar panels hydrogen is very important. All these topics we have to bring forward. We need a lot of innovation. We need a lot of boosting.

Of this clean tech industry. We need secure supply chains. So we also have to look into the question, where do we get our rare earths from the critical raw materials? For that, we also will do.

The critical Raw Materials Act, which is creating a club of like minded countries to have these secure supply chains. So if this is the mutual understanding we have on both sides of the Atlantic, I'm not at all worried, but very positive that will be.

We will be leading in this green transition to the green tech industry.

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