BRUSSELS

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday said the EU will not tolerate incursions into its airspace or territory, reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to strengthening its defense readiness.

“This is a provocation. This is a hybrid threat, which we cannot tolerate,” she said at a news conference following the Nordic Council Summit in Stockholm, referring to recent EU airspace violations.

“We will not tolerate any incursion in our airspace or our territory, and therefore building up this readiness roadmap is of vital interest," she said, highlighting ongoing work on the EU's "readiness roadmap" and new defense initiatives, including the "Eastern flank watch" and the "drone wall."

Turning to Ukraine, von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU’s long-term commitment to support Kyiv, including a proposal to use immobilized Russian assets to help meet Ukraine’s financial needs through 2027.

"The proposal is to take these cash balances to give a loan to Ukraine that Ukraine has to pay back if Russia pays reparations. It's legally a sound proposal, not trivial, but a sound proposal ... But the basic message is very clear towards Russia. We're in for the long haul. We are ready to cover the financing needs of Ukraine," she said.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who hosted the summit, said the Nordic countries take “full responsibility for our own security.”

"During the meeting today, we have reaffirmed our ambition to become the world's most integrated region by 2030," he said.

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Europe faces "the greatest threat since World War II," warning that Russia is trying to "divide and weaken European societies."

"But they shall know that they will never succeed," Frederiksen said. "We have to continue our strong support to Ukraine. They are the first line of defense for the entire European Union and our continent."

The summit also gathered Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, and Aland Premier Katrin Sjogren, with leaders focusing on joint security, defense, and competitiveness efforts across the region.