EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wants to travel to Kyiv today and meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Von der Leyen said in her State of the Union speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the question would be how Ukraine would gain access to the EU internal market.

At the same time, she promised Ukraine emergency aid of 100 million euros to rebuild schools.

Zelenskyy's wife Olena Zelenska was also present in the plenary session of the EU Parliament.

In her speech, which received applause, von der Leyen thanked Selenskyj and his wife for their commitment.

You gave your people a voice in the Russian war of aggression and gave hope to the whole world, von der Leyen said to Olena Selenska. 

Against the background of the war in Ukraine, she swore the citizens of the European Union to expect difficult months.

"The coming months will not be easy," she said.

"Neither for families who have difficulty making ends meet, nor for companies that have to make difficult decisions about the future."

“A war on our energy supply”

Russia's war is not only a war against Ukraine.

"This is a war on our energy supplies, a war on our economy, a war on our values ​​and a war on our future." Autocracy is fighting democracy.

She is firmly convinced that courage and solidarity will defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin and that Europe will ultimately prevail.

"Putin will fail, Europe will win," she said.

Von der Leyen continued that Russia could not expect the EU sanctions to be lifted in the foreseeable future.

"I don't want to leave any doubt that the sanctions will last." Moscow bears responsibility for the fact that the Russian economy is falling behind.

"This is the price of Putin's trail of death and destruction."

She also said that Europe has stood by Ukraine since day one and will continue to do so in the long term.

The country was helped with weapons, financial support and the admission of refugees.

"So far, Team Europe has provided financial aid of more than 19 billion euros," said von der Leyen.

This does not include military support.

In this context, von der Leyen will soon also be able to make calls and text messages to the Ukraine without additional costs.

She announced that Ukraine will be included in the EU free roaming zone.

This would make it possible for Ukrainian mobile phone customers to surf the web in the EU without additional costs.

The same would apply to EU consumers traveling in Ukraine.

Within the EU, roaming has been free for years.

The use of one's own mobile phones in other EU countries without additional costs is one of the most popular successes of the European Union.

Only at the end of last year was it agreed to apply the rules for a further ten years and even expand them.

Relief for consumers in the EU

Von der Leyen also announced a new legislative proposal against high energy prices to relieve consumers in the EU, which would affect both producers of renewable electricity and gas and oil companies.

"Our proposal will bring more than 140 billion euros for the member states to cushion the emergency immediately," said von der Leyen.

The FAZ had previously reported on a corresponding draft law.

The proposed law provides that excessive profits from many electricity producers should be distributed to consumers in order to relieve them of the high costs.

The price of electricity is currently being driven by the high price of gas, and producers of cheaper electricity - for example from the sun, wind, nuclear power or coal - can also sell it at the high prices.

Companies that do not produce electricity from gas should give away part of these profits.

According to a draft, revenue from 180 euros per megawatt hour should go to the state.

Relief measures should be financed from this money.

The federal government has supported similar measures.