The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said today, before the EU-Ukraine summit next week, that Ukraine has the unconditional support of the Union and that the country must overcome Russian attacks to defend European values.

"We stand by Ukraine without any ifs and buts," von der Leyen said, addressing a rally of her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in Düsseldorf, Germany.

"Ukraine is fighting for our common values, it is fighting for respect for international law and the principles of democracy, and that's why Ukraine must win this war," Von der Leyen said.

She and her colleagues are planning an EU-Ukraine summit on February 3.