Russia has failed in its plans for Ukraine – von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described recent reports of Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities and drone incursions into European airspace not as an escalation, but as a failure.
The European Commission chief shared this perspective on Tuesday in Brussels while presenting the 21st sanctions package against Russia.
She noted that the daily reality includes persistent Russian strikes targeting civilian populations in Ukrainian cities, alongside routine drone violations of European airspace across the Baltic region and eastern borders. Citing recent incidents, including a drone hitting a residential building in Romania and another exploding at the port of Constanta, she argued that instead of representing an escalation, these actions indicate a clear breakdown of Russia’s original goals.
The European Commission president pointed out that four years after launching the full-scale invasion, Russia has completely failed to subjugate Ukraine. She emphasized that the internal cost for Russia continues to mount daily, heavily impacting Russian citizens through high casualties, a declining standard of living, inflation near 6 percent, interest rates at 14.5 percent, and rising taxes.
Von der Leyen further asserted that Western sanctions continue to severely damage the economic foundation of Russia’s military campaign. She highlighted that the restrictions have effectively isolated Russia from international capital markets, slowed economic growth, and strained the state budget. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of the liquid assets in Russia’s sovereign wealth fund have been depleted, energy revenues fell by roughly 40 percent in early 2026, and hundreds of shadow fleet vessels have been successfully targeted by sanctions.
Additionally, she stated that export controls are successfully depriving Russia’s defense sector of critical components and technology. The European Commission president concluded that the steady enforcement of successive sanctions packages is achieving results, even as the EU continues to deliver unwavering support to Ukraine as a neighbor, partner, and future member state.