EU 'protects smaller states, not threatens them,' Commissioner Dombrovskis tells Euronews

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EU 'protects smaller states, not threatens them,' Commissioner Dombrovskis tells Euronews  EU Economy Commissioner told Euronews' morning show Europe Today he disagreed "with many elements in the US National Security Strategy" in which the bloc is presented as lacking confidence, pushing for censorship and drowning in illegal migration.   READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/12/09/eu-protects-smaller-states-not-threatens-them-commissioner-dombrovskis-tells-euronews  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00Great to have you with us here on Europe Today. Good morning.

00:02Good morning.

00:03So first, we heard there from Sasha Vakilini about those talks between Marco Dutta and the

00:07Commission President, but did you get filled in as well by Commission President on those

00:12talks last night with President Zelensky? How did they go?

00:15Well, first of all, it's clear from the European Union side, we stay committed to provide all

00:22necessary support to Ukraine and eventually to ensure just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

00:29So that remains our goal. And we continue, I would say, strong engagement with different

00:37partners to arrive at this goal.

00:39But your goal is not being heard by President Trump. He's not taking into account how Brussels

00:43feels.

00:44Well, obviously, what is important if we want also European Union, so to say, to be at the

00:51table, to be fully taken into account, is also to project a strength to be able to change

00:57facts on the ground. That's why it's important we reach agreement on Ukraine financing. That's

01:03why it's important we continue to provide a necessary military support to Ukraine. But this

01:07because this is a way how we actually stay relevant and can change facts on the ground and

01:14correspondingly also can influence any negotiations.

01:20And how can you make sure Ukraine doesn't have to swallow a bad deal?

01:24Well, the stronger Ukraine will be, the more leverage it will have to ensure the acceptable

01:37terms of peace. In any case, what we want to achieve is not a capitulation of Ukraine. It's a just and

01:45lasting peace for Ukraine. Also, the peace which just does not serve as a pause for Russia to

01:53regroup, to recover and to continue its aggression against Ukraine or to expand its war against

02:00other countries, because Russia is openly talking about invading other countries, including EU and

02:05NATO countries.

02:06And you mentioned, of course, the frozen Russian assets. Where do things stand there? The clock is

02:11ticking. Well, last week, the European Commission came forward with proposals on how we can provide

02:18financing for Ukraine for the next two years, either through joint borrowing at the EU level or

02:27through so-called reparation loan, where we use cash balances linked with immobilized Russian assets

02:33and provide a reparation loan to Ukraine, which Ukraine only would need to repay once Russia pays

02:40reparations for the damages it has created. So European Commission proposals are on table and leaders are

02:47expected to discuss them next week.

02:51But some leaders don't like them. I mean, there was the dinner last Friday between President von der

02:55Leyen and Friedrich Merz even hopped on a plane from Germany to come here to try and convince the

02:58Belgians, but it didn't work.

03:00Well, indeed, Belgians have legitimate concerns because bulk of this money is indeed in Belgium.

03:09And therefore, in our proposal, we also came with a strong safeguards. Other EU member states will

03:14have to provide guarantees. Also, Russia's claims cannot be enforced in the European Union. And we also came with

03:24additional safeguards, how to prevent enforcement of those claims in a third country, so how they can be

03:32offset against Russia's assets in the EU.

03:36And you had a call with the G7 last night. Do the US and Japan actually support this reparations loan?

03:41Well, indeed, I presented the reparations loan concept to G7 partners yesterday, our proposal. And it was also

03:50agreed yesterday on a principle that Russia's assets should stay immobilized until Russia pays reparations. It's also reflected

03:58in yesterday's G7 meeting conclusions.

04:02But what happens if there's no deal? How will Ukraine survive without this money?

04:06Well, we have to reach the deal. And the good news is that all leaders conceptually agree that we have to find a

04:15solution. And next week is a crunch time when we have to do it.

04:20And of course, did you read the document, the national security document that Trump penned last Friday,

04:25calling Europe weak? What are your thoughts on that document?

04:28Well, certainly there are aspects on this national security strategy we disagree with. That's very clear. And it's

04:37clear that European Union is actually providing strength for members of the European Union, especially

04:45smaller countries, because in a current more conflictual power based world, it's certainly

04:54you can seek strength in unity. But there are aspects which are obviously, we can agree that we could

05:00project more assertiveness as European Union, including against Russia. And also, for example,

05:07this strategy recognizes that Europe remains strategically and culturally vital for the United States.

05:13Okay. Commissioner Dombrowski, thank you so much for coming into us today on Europe Today.

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