Von der Leyen Vows EU's Strongest Support Yet for Ukraine's Toughest Winter

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pledged that the European Union will deliver its strongest support to Ukraine to date through the coming winter, describing it as the hardest the country has faced since Russia's invasion.

Addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg during her State of the Union speech, von der Leyen said the bloc would work alongside its partners to send humanitarian assistance and to shore up Ukraine's supplies of power and heating.

She also said efforts would be stepped up to reinforce Ukraine's air defences, identifying the country's ability to shield its skies as a second priority for the winter months.

On air defence, von der Leyen said US-made Patriot interceptor missiles were needed urgently. At the same time, she argued that Europe and its partners must work to reduce their reliance on a single supplier.

To that end, she said the EU would work with Ukraine on developing an affordable, modular missile-defence system, with Kyiv's Freyja project at its centre.