STORY: ::The EU’s von der Leyen shows support to Poland and other states sharing borders with Russia and Belarus
::Krynki, Poland
::August 31, 2025
::Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission
“If we take a long-term look on our proposal of the new modern European Union budget, the next seven-year budget, we are tripling the investment in migration and border management and protection. Member states with a direct border with Russia and Belarus will receive additional European funding, because I want to emphasize again that Europe’s borders are a shared responsibility. And here we are at the Polish border, but we are also at a European border, and it is a shared responsibility. We have also proposed a tenfold increase in funding for military mobility, and overall a fivefold increase in defense investment.”
Speaking alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the border visit, Von der Leyen said the proposed budget for the European Union from 2028-2034 aims to triple the budget for migration and border management.
The EU chief also said that Poland, as a frontline state, has been facing “deliberate and cynical hybrid attacks” for years, while Tusk called for firm resistance against Russia.
Von der Leyen’s visit to Poland is part of her four-day tour of EU frontline states, which has already included Latvia, Estonia, and Finland. She is scheduled to visit Bulgaria later on Sunday, followed by Lithuania and Romania on Monday.