Ursula von der Leyen meets Joe Biden: EU and US to continue comprehensive support to Ukraine

The European Union and the United States will continue to jointly and comprehensively support Ukraine and increase sanctions pressure on Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Joe Biden said after meeting in Washington on 10 March.

In a joint statement, both sides stated that they are deepening their joint work to “aggressively enforce” sanctions and export controls, and to stop and halt circumvention and backfill, including by expanding powers to deny Russia access to all resources that could support its war machine. 

As part of this work, the EU and the US are taking new steps together against third country actors supporting Russia’s war and to further limit Russia’s revenues from oil and petroleum products. 

“We will continue to work together to strengthen our economic restrictions to ensure that the costs to Russia of its illegal war continue to grow,” says the joint statement.

The United States and European Union will also continue to ensure military, economic, and humanitarian support to Ukraine. Von der Leyen and Biden also mentioned that they were helping Ukraine through co-chairing the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform and advancing Ukraine’s reform agenda in line with its European path, “laying the foundation for sustainable growth and reconstruction, and ensuring assistance is delivered in a coherent, transparent, and accountable manner”. 

They also said the EU and US stay committed to providing and mobilising international support including from the private sector for Ukraine’s economic and financial stability. They also highlighted support for the International Monetary Fund delivering an ambitious programme by the end of March 2023 “to provide necessary budget support to Ukraine throughout and beyond 2023”.

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