Zagreb, 26 November 2025 (Hina/MIA) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the European Union was against "unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation, and that borders cannot be changed by force."

On the latest talks on efforts to put an end to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, von der Leyen welcomed Trump-led peace efforts, saying that "we know that much more effort is needed, but … thanks to the work of Ukraine, the US and us Europeans over the last few days in Geneva, we have a starting point."

Russia's game plan has not changed since the start of the war – it believes it can outlast Ukraine, Europe and their allies, so whenever there is genuine progress in the negotiations, it escalates the violence, von der Leyen told the European Parliament.

We have seen this before – it is a pattern. The noise coming from the Kremlin reveals its true intentions – for them, Ukraine has remained only the first step in a much bigger game, the Commission president said.

The German politician welcomed the efforts of US President Donald Trump toward peace in Ukraine, noting that there was a starting point as well as a united front, a single voice.

She said the deal needed to deliver "a just and lasting peace" and "real security for Ukraine and Europe," with no limitation on Ukraine's armed forces, which she warns "would leave the country vulnerable to future attacks."

"This is as much about deterrence as it is about Europe's security, because Ukraine security is Europe's security," she says.

She also said the deal needed to uphold Ukraine's sovereignty as she warned that "we know Russia's mindset has not changed since the days of Yalta, seeing our continent in terms of spheres of influence."

"So we need to be clear that there cannot be unilateral carving up of a sovereign European nation, and that borders cannot be changed by force. If today we legitimize and formalize the undermining of borders, we open the doors for more wars tomorrow, and we cannot let this happen," she says.

The EC president said in her speech that Ukraine's future was in the European Union, and not just a matter of destiny but a key part of any security framework.