Exclusive: EU President Reacts to Trump’s Latest Stance on Russia-Ukraine War

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Fine. Let’s move on to Ukraine because huge issue, and it’s being perceived — I don’t know how you perceive it, I’d be interested in your reaction, that Trump has made a dramatic switch from, remember in the Oval Office telling Zelenskyy in front of the world that you have no cards, you need to negotiate, you need to call a ceasefire, you have no cards, to here saying that, yes, I actually think that with E.U., NATO help, you can actually win back your territory. First, do you agree with what his assessment is and what do you attribute his shift to?

VON DER LEYEN: Well, we always were convinced and are convinced that Ukraine’s fight is not only for Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty, but it’s a question for the global order and the respect for the Charter, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries. Second, we have been working very hard to support Ukraine but also to show that there’s a strong coalition of the willing, making sure that once peace is there. We are able to give the security guarantees to Ukraine it needs. And the third point is most important. It took a while, but the evidence is overwhelming to show to President Trump that President Putin is the predator, that he does not want peace, and that we have to be very clear that the international rules have to be respected. And this is what you heard then yesterday.

AMANPOUR: I heard it from the president yesterday, you’re right, and he said, you know, Putin has really disappointed me. I thought, as he said many times, I could fix this war because of my relationship with Putin. I didn’t realize that that wasn’t going to be the case. But my question to you is, do you think this signals a ramping up of E.U., NATO aid to Ukraine for the purpose of what Trump said, that they can win back their territory? Do you think that is what the aim is now? What is the aim for Ukraine?

VON DER LEYEN: So, what the United States do is their decision, but the European Union has always been crystal clear that we’re going to support Ukraine and what it needs. So, far, $175 billion have been invested in Ukraine’s defense, but also economic survival, and we will stay the course. We will be ironclad by the side of Ukraine, and that is also giving them the military capabilities they need to defend their country.

AMANPOUR: But what is your assessment? Is the aim now for them to fight to regain their territory, or is it to keep defending, as you’ve said, and get to a place where Putin takes everybody seriously, including Ukraine, for reasonable negotiations? What’s the aim?

VON DER LEYEN: So, the aim is, of course, the decision on what is Ukrainian territory to be defended, that’s a Ukraine decision. And we respect that. The aim is that Putin comes to the negotiation table and sits down and negotiates, because we all want peace.

AMANPOUR: President Trump has over and again, I’m not going to use the word threatened, but said that he will punish Putin in various ways if he doesn’t do X in two weeks, or in 11 days, or in 20 — I’m making it up, but, you know, constant deadlines that keep being fudged and missed. Now, he’s saying he’s ready to impose tough sanctions on Putin, and this is a couple of weeks ago, as long as allies, NATO, European allies, stop buying fossil fuel energy and et cetera, from the Russians. What’s your response to that?

VON DER LEYEN: Well, President Trump is right, it’s unacceptable that through the back door, Russian fossil fuel come back. Just a figure. We have reduced Russian fossil fuels in Europe by 80 percent. Zero coal from Russia, for example. Only 3 percent of oil from Russia. So, really drastically reduced. But what I see, that LNG comes through the back door. So, we just propose to sanction LNG coming to the European markets that comes from Russia.

AMANPOUR: And the back — OK. I’m just going to read you a Trump quote. He basically says, think about it. He’s talking about you and other NATO nations. They’re funding the war against themselves. In other words, by buying Russian oil. Who ever heard of that? He actually said, who the hell ever heard of that one? So, you’re agreeing, then?

VON DER LEYEN: Look, three years ago, when the war started, indeed, there was a huge dependency on Russian gas. And Putin cut us off the gas. We had a huge energy crisis. We diversified away to others in France. We invested massively in renewables and nuclear. So, that today, we almost got rid of Russian fossil fuels. And it’s correct, we have to finish that job. We have to get rid of Russian fossil fuels. Because it’s only filling the Russian war shed.

AMANPOUR: So, who’s standing in the middle of this? So, you have imposed a ban on maritime Russian oil imports, refined products like diesel. But as you say, many countries continue to import those fossil fuels and liquefied LNG, as you say, around the back door. So, who are the culprits? Is it Slovakia? Is it Turkey? Is it Hungary? Who is it?

VON DER LEYEN: Some member states in the European Union that are still having LNG or Russian oil. And here, we just, as I said, issued a sanctions package that makes very clear that in a few months, they have to get rid of the LNG because it is sanctioned.