She said this in an interview with the French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche on December 25.

Ursula von der Leyen made this statement in response to questions about how to achieve greater respect from Russia for the European Union.

“We make it clear that the answer to any further aggression against Ukraine will be the sanctions with far-reaching consequences. They are ready. European countries are united and act in concert with the United States and NATO. We want good relations with Russia, but it depends on its actions. It must stop its provocations”, - the European Commission President stressed.

As for Ukraine’s integration into NATO and the EU, Ursula von der Leyen assured that “the Ukrainian people must decide their own future”.

What is known

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says that if necessary, the European Union will expand or apply additional sanctions against Russia in connection with the aggression against Ukraine.
• On 16 December, at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that any further aggression of Russia against Ukraine would have severe consequences and a very high price.
• The G7 countries promise Russia "serious costs" in the event of its invasion of Ukraine.
• The United States is pushing the European Union to agree on a new package of sanctions against Russia as soon as possible in the event of a large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
• The Russian Federation demands that NATO formally withdraw its promise to join Ukraine. This is the decision of the 2008 Bucharest summit.
• Sweden firmly rejects Russia's demand that NATO should not accept new members.
• Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde believes that each country has the right to make its own security policy choices.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the Kremlin will not delay "different" answers if the United States and NATO do not comply with its demands for so-called "security guarantees".

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