In a lengthy and wide-ranging address, von der Leyen called out Lukashenko's strategy in clear terms.
"Human beings are not bargaining chips. Look at what happened at our borders with Belarus. The regime in Minsk has instrumentalised human beings. They have put people on planes and literally pushed them towards Europe's borders. This can never be tolerated. And the quick European reaction shows that.
"And rest assured, we will continue to stand together with Lithuania, Latvia and Poland. And, let's call it what it is: it is a hybrid attack to destabilise Europe, we'll never tolerate that," von der Leyen asserted.
Similar incidents at other borders and the likelihood that they will be seen more often in future make the development of a unified European migration system necessary as a matter of urgency, she said, and appealed to member states to back the proposed Pact on Migration and Asylum for the common good.
"I urge you, in this House and in Member States, to speed up the process... There are many strongly held views on migration in Europe but I believe the common ground is not so far away," she said.
You can watch the video clip above to be taken straight to President von der Leyen's comments on the Belarus border situation.
