Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska,
opened the World Economic Forum
in Davos, Switzerland,
with this stark warning.
---
We are facing the threat
of a collapse of the world as we know it.
The way that we are accustomed to it
or to what we aspire
this war can go further
and make crisis wider
if the aggressor does not lose.
This while back home
her people suffer stepped up horrors.
And mass
killings by the aggressor Russia.
The number of residents
killed by a cruise
missile strike on their apartment
block in De Dnipro
has now risen to at least 45 people,
something her husband, President
Volodymyr Zelensky,
has called a war crime.
Russia's war in Ukraine is topic
number one
at the Davos
summit Leaders,
of course, will also discuss
climate change
and the cost of living crises.
But will the forum be
more than just a talking shop?
One voice carries a lot of weight.
My first guest, European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen,
recently named
the most powerful woman in the world
by Forbes magazine.
She joined me
right after delivering a speech
that was designed to spur action
and to speed up support to Ukraine.
President von
der Leyen, welcome to the program.
Thank you very much for having me.
Can I ask you your assessment?
I know your speech was devoted
a lot to the war in Ukraine.
Russia has had some maybe symbolic
psychological successes,
particularly around solidarity, etc.
and it has stepped up its war
against civilians.
The terrible death of at least 40 people
from a residential attack in De Dnipro.
How do you assess
do you think Russia is getting back
onto the front foot
or still on the back foot?
I think Russia is still on the back foot
because first of all, Russia
never accounted
for the incredible courage
of the Ukrainian people
and Russia never accounted
for the strong support
the international
community would give Ukraine.
The European
Union is supporting
with whatever it takes
Ukraine
because we know that Ukraine
is not only fighting against Russia
and for its sovereignty and integrity
of its territory,
but also for the respect
for the international law
and the fundamental rights.
And therefore, we are deeply concerned.
Whatever it takes,
we have to support Ukraine.
So those are great words.
And for sure,
the EU and NATO partners,
the United States,
have done a huge amount.
But we're hearing from everybody,
including beleaguered Ukrainian soldiers,
that is just not enough
for this onslaught right now.
They still don't have the air
defense systems.
They still don't have all the artillery
or the ammunition that they need.
And this is what Olena Zelensky,
the first lady,
told you all at Davos today.
You're all united by the fact
that you are really very influential
---
But there's also something
that separates you
--- and that, is
that not
all of you are using this influence,
---
or sometimes
you use it in a way
that divides even more so.
President von
der Leyen,
that's a pretty strong,
frankly, accusation
from a grateful nation,
it has to be said.
And we know
that there is a race against time.
And we know that there's an argument
in your country, Germany.
You're a former defense minister.
Do you believe that the German chancellor
should deliver the leopard tanks to join
what other European countries
are doing now?
As you know, the European level,
the European Union does not own
any military capability.
But I've said
from the onset of this atrocious war
that Ukraine
should get all the military equipment
it needs and it can handle
And this also includes
the advance system.
So I hope very much
that in Ramstein, when the meeting is
I think it's the 21st of January
that there will be a big move forward
and the decision taken
that is so necessary overall.
Ukraine
also says
that it has gotten a lot of support
and that is good.
So but yes, there has to be
we need to step up in that.
Do you
I mean, again, you're
the former defense minister of Germany.
I know you're currently
the president of the European Commission.
But, you know, Chancellor Schultz,
you know these people.
Will you be urging him
to make that decision
on behalf of Europe
and on behalf of what you all say
is to defend Ukraine to the end,
that Putin must win
and that your credibility
is on the line right now?
Yeah, but I do not have to convince
the head of state and government
because they know that.
Of course,
we talk a lot about this topic.
It has been,
for example,
every time a subject
that the European Council and indeed
there is a need to step up.
Now, the deliveries
we just made
the decision
that we will deliver
€18 billion in 20, 23 financial support.
That is the responsibility
for example of the commission.
Yesterday we dispatched the first tranche
of 3 billion
for the month of January and February.
So in many different urgent fields
we are stepping up.
And again,
I think Ukraine should get that material
it needs and it can handle.
I want to ask you about sanctions
because again you've been very clear.
You've done sanctions
after sanctions against against Russia.
But we are hearing
and I'm sure you've seen the reports
that despite that,
a lot of these proscribed
proscribed goods
are actually getting through by road,
and especially
according to latest reports
from the country of Georgia,
How does one stop Russia getting
what is what it needs,
even under sanctions?
Yes, we have issued
nine rounds of sanctions
and these sanctions are biting.
They are crippling the Russian economy
and starving
at all of the modern technologies
that is working.
But we also see that, of course, there is
the attempt
of circumvention
and we cannot accept that.
We have already started to say
that we are going to list
those people who take technologies
or goods
from the European Union
and bring them into Russia.
But the 10th package of sanctions
will be mainly focused
on closing these loopholes, on
finishing off with these circumvention
and having massive consequences for those
who circumvent
the sanctions of the European Union.
So the 10th package will be on that.
You just mentioned the United States and
and Washington is watching
you and your speech very closely.
There's a U.S.
delegation there in Davos.
You are meant to be having a meeting.
I don't know whether you did
to try to calm your fury
at what you call protectionism
or what
European nations
are calling protectionism
because of the US you know, the I.R.A.
law, the inflation reduction
bill,
you're very worried about your car sector
and others, main countries
like France and Germany are very,
very worried.
Is there any resolution to that?
And do you see it happening?
Yes.
Well, first
of all, I
must say we welcome
that there is the Inflation
Reduction Act,
which is basically massive investment
in the green transition. That's good.
Let's join forces
there as you know, the European Union
has its European Green Deal
and our massive investment
program of 800 billion
for next generation EU.
So it is good
that the US are also stepping up
their investment in the green transition.
There's one point where we have to go
into deeper discussions
and that is
we want to compete on quality,
but there needs to be
a level playing field.
And therefore, indeed,
I am working with the United States
on an agreement
that these investments
on both sides of the Atlantic
should be a joint effort to bring forward
the clean tech industry
to boost the clean tech industry.
And on our side, on the European Union,
we will come forward
with a Green Deal industrial plan,
which basically looks at what can we do
in a regulatory environment
to speed up the deployment of clean tech?
What can we do in the
on the field of funding and state aid?
What do we have to do for skilling people
and how can we improve trade
for the clean tech?
So this is the Green Deal
Industrial Plan,
which is basically the answer to the IRA.
And as I said, we work
with the United States
to have a real level
playing field,
to compete on content,
on substance, on quality
for the clean tech sector.
We need the Senator Joe Manchin.
You know,
the centrist
Democrat says that EU worries
were overwrought and hyper hypocritical.
And he's already told the French
president
that the IRA could never hurt Europe.
What is your response to that?
Well, I like
this mutual understanding
that we are in this fight
against climate change together
and that we know
crucial will be the clean tech industry,
wind power generation, solar panels
hydrogen is very important.
All these topics
we have to bring forward.
We need a lot of innovation.
We need a lot of boosting
of this clean tech industry.
We need secure supply chains.
So we also have to
look into the question,
where do we get
our rare earths
from the critical raw materials?
For that,
we also will do
the critical Raw
Materials Act,
which is creating a club
of like minded countries
to have these secure supply chains.
So if this is the mutual understanding
we have on both sides of the Atlantic,
I'm not at all worried, but very positive
that will be
we will be leading
in this green transition to the
green tech industry.