European leaders must agree on a funding deal for Ukraine at a crunch summit in Brussels this week, Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the European Commission president said, “I proposed two different options for this upcoming European Council. One based on assets and one based on EU borrowing. And we will have to decide which way we want to take, which route we want to take.”

She added: “But one thing is very, very clear. We have to take the decision to fund Ukraine for the next two years in this European Council.”

Stressing the need for stronger European defense capabilities, she added, “Europe must be responsible for its own security. This is no longer an option. This is a must. We need to be ready.”

“There is no more important act of European defense than supporting Ukraine’s defense. The next days will be a crucial step for securing this,” von der Leyen said.

“So our task at this week’s summit is to show that we are focused on our own strategy and our own interests and our own priorities.”

Thursday’s summit is crucial for Europe and for Ukraine, and the most pressing, unresolved issue is that of whether to grant Ukraine access to frozen Russian assets to bankroll its war efforts. Belgium, where the majority of those assets are held, is holding out against using them, fearing it would be on the hook to repay the full amount if Russia attempted to claw back the money.

In her speech to MEPs, von der Leyen said the majority of the cash that Ukraine needs to continue funding its war effort must come from Europe: “The IMF and our estimates show that Ukraine’s needs for the years 2026 and 2027 are around €137 billion. Europe should cover two-thirds, that is €90 billion.”

The Commission chief also talked about the EU’s need to boost competitiveness while driving diversification and strengthening supply chains, saying that “Europe’s era of independence must be unstoppable.”

Von der Leyen pushed back against criticism from outside Europe, without mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump.

“We cannot afford to let the world views of others define us … But let me say this, it would not be the first time that assumptions about Europe were shown to be outdated,” she said. Her comments came a week after Trump told POLITICO in an interview that European leaders were “weak”, adding: “Europe doesn’t know what to do.”

The Commission president warned Europeans: “Yesterday’s peace is gone. We have no time to indulge in nostalgia.”