DISINFO: Munich Security Conference reveals EU’s support for escalating Ukraine conflict
SUMMARY
The Munich Security Conference showed that the European Union is clearly in favour of further escalating the conflict in Ukraine. This is based on the statements made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said that Brussels advocates for a 'peace through strength' approach, and by EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas, who emphasised that the EU must redistribute some resources to ensure Ukraine can continue its military actions.
RESPONSE
Recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets accusing the EU of warmongering. This claim was made in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
While Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas have expressed continued support for Kyiv, their statements do not call for escalating the war in Ukraine. Von der Leyen’s statement about "peace through strength" referred to giving Ukraine the resources to defend itself, rather than to escalate the war. In particular, she said about the EU’s contribution as follows:
“Financially and militarily the overall support amounts to EUR 134 billion. That is more than anybody else has contributed. This includes USD 52 billion of military assistance – on par with the US.”
Redistributing resources to help Ukraine is about ensuring that it receives adequate aid in order to protect itself from Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression, not about pushing for more military action. This redistribution is meant to strengthen Ukraine’s defensive capabilities while working towards a negotiated settlement to end the war. The EU has been committed to finding a diplomatic solution to the war, based on international law and the UN Charter, but Moscow has been rejecting European efforts and pressing Ukraine into ceding territory and turning into a Russian colony.
This misrepresentation of EU statements is consistent with Kremlin disinformation tactics, which aim to portray Western support for Ukraine as aggressive rather than defensive. In reality, the Munich Security Conference itself serves as a platform for discussions on diplomacy, security, and long-term peace strategies rather than a push for war. Additionally, European officials have repeatedly emphasised that failing to support Ukraine would encourage Russia and increase the risk of further instability in Europe. Blaming the EU for any escalation ignores the fact that it was Russia that launched the aggression against Ukraine by illegally annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and starting a full-scale invasion in 2022.
On February 24, 2025, to mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa visited Kyiv to express solidarity with Ukraine. The European leaders made a joint statement in support of Kyiv, in which they stressed "the importance of maintaining transatlantic and global solidarity with Ukraine" and highlighted "the need to ensure the international community’s continued focus on supporting Ukraine in achieving a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the Ukrainian peace formula."
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