LONDON, March 3. /TASS/. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for providing as many weapons to Ukraine as to make it a "steel porcupine" that will be indigestible to any future adversary.
She made the statement following a summit of Western leaders in London. EU leaders will consider concrete measures to achieve this transformation of Ukraine and accelerate the arming of Europe when they convene in Brussels on March 6, von der Leyen said.
The official said the weapons, along with financial assistance, support of energy infrastructure and provision of security guarantees should come from the EU and NATO.
Von der Leyen also called on EU countries to urgently arm Europe by starting a new conventional arms race. All Europeans should invest in defense and drive a surge in defense industry, she said.
Von der Leyen also pledged to tweak EU budgetary and financial rules that fall within the remit of the European Commission in order to give the bloc’s members more opportunities for massive government investment in weapons production. European Council President Antonio Costa called for preventing in Ukraine a repetition of the Minsk agreements or something like the withdrawal of Western troops from Afghanistan.