EU Commission head to Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Western Balkans: you’re part of our family

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday addressed citizens in countries of the Western Balkans as well as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia by telling them “you are part of our family, your future is in our Union, and our Union is not complete without you”. 

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In her annual address to the European parliament in Strasbourg, the official also said “we should have listened to those who know [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. To Anna Politkovskaya, and all the Russian journalists, who exposed the crimes and paid the ultimate price. To our friends in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and the opposition in Belarus”. 

I want the people of the Western Balkans, of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to know:

You are part of our family, your future is in our Union, and our Union is not complete without you!
#SOTEU pic.twitter.com/JcjI2LY6hD

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 14, 2022

Expressing support for Ukraine, von der Leyen said the EU would maintain sanctions against Russia “because now is the time for decisive action, not concession”, noting that she would visit Kyiv later on Wednesday. 

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In further comments, the EU official stressed Putin had not only launched Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “but also started an energy and economic war against Europe”. 

She added “millions of Europeans need support to pay their energy bills”, noting some companies were producing electricity at low cost and made great margins and proposing a “cap on their revenues that will raise more than €140 billion”, in addition to a “deep reform [of] our electricity market”.