“No other possible option” than being “united” behind Volodymyr Zelensky, reacts Renew MEP Valérie Hayer

“Vladimir Putin threatens us directly, he is our neighbor,” believes Valérie Hayer.

“The United States and Europeans must be united behind Volodymyr Zelensky, there is no other option”insists MEP Valérie Hayer on Monday November 11 on franceinfo. The president of the Renew group at the Parliament of Strasbourg was the guest of 8:30 a.m. on franceinfo. “If Donald Trump gave Vladimir Putin a victory, [ce serait] the law of the strongest, the questioning of all our precepts and principles, and the rule of law”still worries the elected official from the Macronist camp. “The future of Ukrainians will be decided with Ukrainians”she emphasizes.

Faced with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU therefore did not “no choice”she believes. “Vladimir Putin threatens us directly, he is our neighbor”reminds the leader of Renew MEPs. “Schematically, we are leaving our collective security in the hands of a few thousand voters in Pennsylvania 6,000 km from us. This is no longer bearable”according to Valérie Hayer. “Europe must know how to defend Europe”she points out.

An observation which pushes the European elected official to question the financing of the defense of the Old Continent. “If the United States ever decides to no longer help Ukraine, we must be ready to put more money on the table”warns the MEP who recalls that the EU has already disbursed 120 billion euros since 2022 in military, humanitarian and financial aid for kyiv. The United States released $61 billion this year to help Ukraine. But Donald Trump repeated during his campaign that he would resolve the conflict with Russia “in one day”without detailing his expeditious plan.

“The election of Donald Trump is an electric shock and it must be an opportunity to move forward on this issue [de l’indépendance de la défense au sein de l’UE.] It is no longer possible for us to have, in our European armies, 80% of our equipment produced outside the EU, so that means assuming a European preference.recalled the leader of Renew MEPs. She therefore once again relays the position of the President of the Republic on this issue. During his speech at the Sorbonne last April, Emmanuel Macron called for “produce faster, more, and in Europeans. (…) We need a European preference for the purchase of military equipment.”