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Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission, European Union
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‘Ukraine Now Exceeds Russian…’: Von der Leyen Sends Defiant Message To Putin

📅 Jun 25, 2026 Hook Global 12 MIN 173472 VIEWS 11 SEGMENTS · 2 SPEAKERS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a forceful message on Ukraine’s future, outlining major military, economic and political developments amid the war with Russia. From drone production and defense cooperation to EU membership ambitions, her remarks signal a significant shift in Europe’s long-term strategy. Watch the full speech and key moments from the conference. #Ukraine #VonDerLeyen #EuropeanUnion 0:00 Welcome To Gdansk & Tribute To Ukraine Support 1:50 Ukraine Following Gdansk's Legacy Of Freedom 2:54 Ukraine's Path To European Union Membership 4:36 Ukraine's In...

What Ursula von der Leyen said

Written from the verified transcript and checked against it. Every figure links to the moment it was said.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, spoke at a recovery conference in Gdańsk, Poland, on June 25, 2026. She praised Gdańsk's solidarity, noting 5,000 families hosted Ukrainians. She argued Ukraine's military and defense industry have shifted momentum, with drone production now matching or exceeding Russia's. She announced the opening of the first cluster of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, focusing on rule of law and institutions. Von der Leyen highlighted Ukraine's integration into Roam Like at Home and progress on SEPA, framing investment in Ukraine as investment in a future EU member. She detailed EU support: 200 billion euros already provided, a new 90 billion euro loan with a first tranche of 3.2 billion euros disbursed today, and 6 billion euros for drone production starting soon. She announced a new equity fund for Ukraine's reconstruction, backed by the EU, Poland, France, Germany, and Italy, aiming to mobilize 500 million euros this year and 1 billion over time. She emphasized defense industry integration, citing Ukrainian drones produced in Germany and Flamingo missile fuel in Denmark.

Key takeaways

  1. Ukraine's drone production now matches or exceeds Russia's production capacity.
  2. EU and member states have provided 200 billion euros in support since the full-scale invasion.
  3. A new 90 billion euro Ukraine support loan will provide 3.2 billion euros as the first tranche, disbursed today.
  4. A new equity fund for Ukraine's reconstruction can mobilize up to 500 million euros this year, aiming for 1 billion over time.
  5. The first cluster of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine has opened, focusing on rule of law and institutions.

Numbers and commitments

FigureWhat it refers toTypeAt
200 billion euros Total EU and member state support to Ukraine since full-scale invasion metric 5:56
90 billion euros Additional Ukraine support loan over next two years guidance 5:56
3.2 billion euros First tranche of macro-financial assistance under the loan commitment 5:56
6 billion euros Funding for drone production to start paying in coming days commitment 6:51
500 million euros Maximum mobilization of new equity fund this year guidance 0:17
1 billion euros Target for equity fund over time guidance 7:04
200 billion euros Size of Ukraine's economy metric 4:36
20 trillion euros Size of EU single market metric 4:36
5,000 families Families in Gdańsk that hosted Ukrainians metric 0:17

Chapters

  1. 0:00Gdańsk's solidarity with Ukraine
  2. 1:50Ukraine's battlefield momentum and drone production
  3. 2:54Opening of EU accession negotiations
  4. 4:36Ukraine's integration into EU systems
  5. 5:56EU financial support and new loan
  6. 6:51Drone production funding
  7. 7:04New equity fund for reconstruction
  8. 9:33Defense industry integration
  9. 11:11Closing message of solidarity
Unknown 0:00 ↗
Ursula von der Leyen.

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Cite this transcript

APA, MLA, BibTeX
APA

Leyen, U. V. D. (2026, June 25). ‘Ukraine Now Exceeds Russian…’: Von der Leyen Sends Defiant Message To Putin [Interview transcript]. Hook Global. CEOInterviews.AI. https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1047323/

MLA

Ursula von der Leyen. "‘Ukraine Now Exceeds Russian…’: Von der Leyen Sends Defiant Message To Putin." Hook Global, 25 Jun. 2026. Transcript, CEOInterviews.AI, https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1047323/.

BibTeX 
@misc{leyen2026_1047323,
  author       = {Ursula von der Leyen},
  title        = {‘Ukraine Now Exceeds Russian…’: Von der Leyen Sends Defiant Message To Putin},
  howpublished = {Interview transcript, Hook Global. CEOInterviews.AI},
  year         = {2026},
  month        = {jun},
  url          = {https://ceointerviews.ai/interview/1047323/},
  note         = {Speaker-attributed transcript with timestamps}
}