BERLIN, March 4 (Reuters) - German Foreign Minister

Annalena Baerbock on Tuesday welcomed European Commission

President Ursula von der Leyen's plans to raise defence funds as

"an important first step".

"Two things are now essential for peace through strength:

additional aid - military and financial - for Ukraine, which is

defending our freedom. And a quantum leap to strengthen our EU

defence," Baerbock said on X.

(Writing by Friederike Heine

Editing by Madeline Chambers)