“They are already a reality in Europe.” What von der Leyen said about the effects of the war in the Middle East

The consequences of the war in the Middle East are “already a reality” in Europe, with rising energy prices and NATO “bases” targeted in Cyprus, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned on Monday, according to AFP.

“Our citizens are caught in the middle. Our partners are under attack,” she stressed to EU ambassadors ahead of a scheduled mid-day phone call with Middle Eastern leaders.

There was a shock in the oil market on Monday, with the price of a barrel briefly reaching $120, due to the prolongation of the conflict and the persistent blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, while the price of European gas rose by 30%.

However, von der Leyen stressed, the Iranian people “deserve freedom”, even “if we know that (the road) will be difficult, full of dangers and instability during the war and after it”.

The EU must protect its interests

And the long-term impact is already raising “existential questions.” “The idea that we can simply withdraw and isolate ourselves from this chaotic world is simply a mistake,” she warned, urging the EU to “go on the offensive” and “protect its interests.”

This is true for Ukraine, as a priority for the EU is to help it finance itself this year and next with a €90 billion loan, the payment of which is currently blocked by a Hungarian veto.

But “I can assure you that we will respect our commitments, because what is at stake is our credibility and, more importantly, our security,” said the president of the European Commission.

She also emphasized the need to integrate Ukraine and other candidate countries into the European Union as quickly as possible, without necessarily waiting for them to become full member states.

“It is extremely important that we are ready, ensuring that the countries of the Western Balkans, Moldova and Ukraine move closer to our Union now,” she stressed.