Ukraine will be in EU, Putin will face justice in The Hague – EC president

Ukraine will take its place at the heart of the EU despite Russia's efforts to destroy its European dream, whereas Vladimir Putin will face justice in The Hague.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this at the congress of the European People's Party in Bucharest on Thursday to identify key candidates for the upcoming elections, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"I was in Bucha after it was liberated. I will never forget the body bags lined up: innocent civilians, young women, old men, killed by Putin's soldiers. And I will never forget the desperate parents whose children have been abducted by Russia, their tears, their fears, their agony. And as a mother and grandmother, my heart is bleeding to hear these stories," she said.

She said Putin "is wanted for war crimes and he will face justice" and that there was "a courtroom in The Hague waiting for him."

According to von der Leyen, there can be no doubt that the European Union will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, with more financial and military support.

"Russia has destroyed houses, hospitals, and kindergartens, but they could not destroy the dream - the dream of a free and prosperous Ukraine, that takes its place at the heart of the European Union. And today, this dream lives on also in Moldova, in Georgia and the Western Balkans. And together we will turn this dream into reality. That is what the EPP and Europe stand for," she said.

Von der Leyen also praised the courage of Russian citizens who came to the funeral of Alexei Navalny despite the repression of the Putin regime, and recalled the statement of one Russian woman who said that "Navalny sacrificed himself to save the country, while Putin sacrificed the country to save himself."

During the congress of the European People's Party in Bucharest, its members elected Ursula von der Leyen as the EPP's lead candidate for the Presidency of the European Commission.