Putin can only be deterred, not trusted - European Commission President

"Putin has proven time and again that he is a hostile neighbor. He cannot be trusted, he can only be deterred," she said.

As von der Leyen noted, Russia's military complex produces more than Europe's. "If we look at military expenditure in real terms, the Kremlin is spending more than all of Europe combined. Europe's production is still on a lower order of magnitude," she said.

The European Commission President further stated that the European security order is becoming unstable, and many illusions are being shattered.

"After the Cold War, some believed that Russia could be integrated into Europe's economic and security architecture. While others hoped we could endlessly rely on full protection from America. And that’s why we lowered our guard," Ursula von der Leyen noted.

According to her, Europe reduced defense spending from an average of over 3.5% to less than half of that.

"We thought we were enjoying a peace dividend. But in reality, we were just running a security deficit. The time of illusions is now over. Europe is called to take greater charge of its own defense. Not in some distant future but already today. Not with incremental steps but with the courage that the situation requires. We need a surge in European defense. And we need it now," Ursula von der Leyen added.

The European Commission President pointed out that this is primarily needed due to the situation in Ukraine. "There is an urgent need to fill the gaps in Ukraine's military supplies and to provide Ukraine with solid security guarantees. But this moment of reckoning is not only about Ukraine. It is about all of Europe and our entire continent's security," she said.

Ursula von der Leyen has topped the rating of positive attitudes of Ukrainians among foreign politicians.