The threat posed by Russia to security in Europe means that the continent must boost its defense capabilities, the president of the European Council, Charles Michel has said.

In an op-ed published in European newspapers, the top EU official, said that two years into Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, U.S. support for the continent could no longer be taken for granted.

“We can no longer count on others or be at the mercy of election cycles in the U.S. or elsewhere,” he wrote, referring to further military assistance for Kyiv that is being held up in the U.S. Congress.

“If we do not get the EU’s response right and do not give Ukraine enough support to stop Russia, we are next,” he added. “If we want peace, we must prepare for war.”