We hope to reach a trade agreement in principle with the US by July 9, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference in the Danish city of Aarhus, on the occasion of the start of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, BTA reports.
She pointed out that the US already has a similar agreement with the United Kingdom, which could serve as a basis for negotiations between Washington and Brussels. If no progress is made, the European Commission has prepared countermeasures, Von der Leyen added.
In response to a question about the temporary freezing of part of the US military aid to Ukraine, Von der Leyen stressed that this is a signal of the need for greater engagement on the part of the EU. She stressed the need for better coordination between the EU and NATO on the weaknesses in European defence capabilities. Member states are expected to present an analysis of the identified deficits by the end of July.
“We need to put pressure on President Putin to engage in peace talks“, said the EC President. “Our main goal is to achieve a just and sustainable peace“, she added.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also expressed strong support for Ukraine. She insisted on increasing aid to Kiev and strengthening sanctions against Russia. “I fully support Ukraine's membership in NATO, although there are allies who have a different opinion”, Frederiksen noted. She stressed that one of the priorities of the Danish Presidency is progress in Ukraine's EU membership negotiations.