(Brussels) Speaking to EU leaders gathered in Brussels for the European Council, Parliament President Roberta Metsola said that in a volatile world, “Europe must do more for its security”. On Ukraine, she underlined that the EU’s support “must remain strong”, including support for Ukraine’s future membership: “Ukraine and Moldova have already met the conditions to open the initial set of negotiations. The ball is now in our court”. On defence, the President referred to NATO’s agreement of upping defence spending targets to 5% and emphasised the that the European Parliament is doing its part by having acted fast on the Common Procurement Act and the Act in Support of Ammunition Production. “The same sense of urgency is what will continue to guide us as we look to finalise the recent Defence Omnibus package by the end of the year”. On maternity rights, the President informed EU leaders that the European Parliament will table a targeted amendment to the electoral rules “to allow Members of European Parliament who are pregnant or who have just given birth to delegate their vote”. She encouraged EU leaders to support this proposal by saying: “No democracy should ever penalise elected representatives for choosing to start a family. Representation should never come at the cost of parenthood”.