“Too much is at stake, and we cannot wait any longer”: this was stated by Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, as she spoke to the European Council, “stressing the urgency for Europe to take care of its own security”. “We cannot afford to depend on others to keep us safe”, the President stated. As to Ukraine, Metsola pointed out that “peace must be a real one that does not simply lull all into a false sense of security by allowing an aggressor to keep trying to take over sovereign nations”. Therefore, peace must “guarantee freedom for Ukraine, security for Europe”. As to defence, she called on the Heads of State and Government to invest more in defence: “Our ambition must match the unprecedented threat” looming over the continent, “the boldness of our proposals, and the speed at which they are put into action.” Then, she deemed the proposals on the table quite interesting. “Extraordinary times require immediate measures, so I welcome all creative and flexible solutions to substantially increase and accelerate our investments in the defence sector”. “We need swift action, but acting together is the only way of ensuring broad and deep public backing”. Speaking about the next Multiannual Financial Framework, she called on leaders to “align our EU budget with our priorities. We have a real opportunity to fund the strategic autonomy we need”.