EU's Michel says Russian remarks on war with Europe show importance of building EU defence industry

Russia's comments about war with Europe show the importance of the European Union building its own defence industry, European Union Council President Charles Michel said on Friday.

"We must be lucid and we must tell to our citizens all across the EU that if we want peace, if we want security and stability, it is extremely important to improve our defence capabilities and to build a true European Union in defence," Michel said at the end of an EU summit in Brussels.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the comments only prove that the Kremlin betrayed the Russian population in the last two years by hiding the facts and denying that they are at war.

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russia regards itself to be at war due to the West's intervention on Ukraine's side, shifting the language it uses to describe the conflict in an apparent move to prepare Russians for a longer and harder struggle.

EU not intimidated by Russian countermeasures against frozen asset plan

The EU will not be intimidated by possible Russian countermeasures against plans to use windfall profits on frozen Russian assets to buy weapons for Ukraine, EU Council President Charles Michel said on Friday.

"We are not intimidated by Russia. And we think this is fair, that the revenues of those foreign assets will be used for Ukraine because they are victim of this aggression launched by Russia," Michel told reporters after a summit of EU leaders.