European Union support for Ukraine will continue, as the country is the victim of aggression, stated Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, on Friday. She added that sanctions imposed on Russia are having a significant impact on its economy.
"Ukraine can rely on us because this is not just an attack on Ukraine, but an assault on the principles of the UN Charter," she said in a speech in Johannesburg, where she is attending the G20 summit.
"We've imposed 19 sanction packages, and these are indeed effective," she remarked.
"The evidence is clear when you observe the increasing challenges facing the Russian economy: rising inflation, higher interest rates, and a strained wartime economy. Gradually, the figures are proving that the sanctions are taking effect."
Her comment comes as she confirmed that she and European leaders will reach out to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a U.S. peace plan on Ukraine during the current G20 summit.
"We will discuss the situation both with European leaders and with leaders here on the sidelines of the G20. I will also reach out to President Zelenskyy to discuss the matter," she told reporters on Friday.
Von der Leyen said a key principle European leaders had always upheld was "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine."
The United States and Russia are negotiating a 28-point roadmap to end the war in Ukraine but Brussels has not been included in the negotiations.
Zelenskyy said he was ready for "constructive, honest and prompt work" with Washington, on Thursday after talks with a top U.S. Army official.
According to the U.S.-backed plan, seen by Reuters, Kyiv would be required to give up the entire Donbas region - part of which Kyiv's forces control - and significantly downsize its military, conditions long seen by Ukraine's allies as tantamount to capitulation.
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative...
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialo...
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and...
A new United Nations report unveiled at the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku warns that the global housing crisis is worsening...
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative in Baku.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
A new United Nations report unveiled at the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku warns that the global housing crisis is worsening rapidly, with nearly 40% of the world’s population living in inadequate, unsafe or unaffordable housing.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Estonia said on Tuesday (19 May) that a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over its territory, in the latest reported airspace violation in the region amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes against Russia.
Sweden has agreed to buy four naval frigates from France’s Naval Group in a deal worth more than $4 billion, as Stockholm moves to strengthen its defence capabilities in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.
Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained a 25-year-old man suspected of killing his two parents and injuring four other people, including his son, in a shooting in the southern city of El Ejido in Almeria province overnight.
European Union negotiators are expected to agree on Tuesday (19 May) on legislation removing import duties on U.S. industrial goods, in a move aimed at implementing last year’s trade agreement with the United States and avoiding higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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