Von der Leyen to visit member states ‘on front line’ against Russian aggression

Brussels – Starting tomorrow, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will visit member states that are “on the front line” on the borders with Russia and Belarus: Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Romania. She announced this in a brief statement to the press in Brussels, after the Russian attack that also hit the EU Representation building in Kyiv today.

Her visit, says a note released later, “will underscore the EU’s support for Member States facing the challenges of sharing borders with Russia or Belarus. She will also discuss Europe’s security and defense with government leaders and military officials.”

Tomorrow, 29 August, President von der Leyen will arrive in Riga, where she will meet Latvian Prime Minister Evika Salina. They will visit a factory producing drones, which has received EU support through NextGenerationEU.

Later in the day, the President will travel to Helsinki, where she will meet the Finnish Prime Minister, Petteri Orpo. She and the Prime Minister will be briefed on Europe’s response to the Russian shadow fleet and threats of seabed warfare targeting critical submarine infrastructure, such as communication and power cables, and energy pipelines. Von der Leyen will then participate in a working dinner hosted by the Finnish President, Alexander Stubb.

On Saturday, 30 August, the President will be in Estonia, where she will meet with Prime Minister Kristen Michal and exchange views with Estonian defense forces and NATO military personnel.

On Sunday, 31 August, von der Leyen will visit Poland, where she will meet Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Together, they will travel to the border with Belarus to observe the ongoing operations in place to monitor and safeguard the eastern border.

Later in the day, the President will be in Sofia, where she will meet Bulgarian Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov. Together, they will visit a leading state-owned defense plant and the country’s largest armaments production site.

On Monday, 1 September, the President will travel to Vilnius. She will meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. Together, they will also visit the country’s border with Belarus. The two Presidents will witness the preparations against hybrid and conventional threats.

In the afternoon, the President will then travel to Romania, where she will meet President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Llie Gavril Bolojan. They will travel to the Black Sea, near the city of Constanța. President von der Leyen will discuss EU-NATO cooperation, as well as the prevention, detection, defense, and deterrence of maritime and hybrid threats.