EU Summit: War in Ukraine, energy, food security and European defense at the table

The eyes are on Brussels as the two-day event begins today Summit meeting of the 27 EU leaders with main issues the war in Ukraineenergy, food security and European defense.

The Summit starts at 5 p.m. (Greek time) with the first topic being the situation in Ukraine. European leaders are expected to reiterate strong EU economic, political, humanitarian and military support for the country.

As the President of the European Council points out in his letter of invitation to EU leaders Charles Michel, the most “pressing” issue is financial assistance to Ukraine to meet liquidity needs. According to a draft conclusions, the EU will provide the country with further emergency macro-financial assistance in the form of loans and grants, up to € 9 billion in 2022. However, it is not yet clear whether the leaders will give their final approval today, as the The Commission will present the details of how the funding will be provided in June.

Discussion of a new package of sanctions against Russia is possible

The European Council, as reported by the Athens News Agency, may also discuss the sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which includes the embargo on Russian oil.

One month after the presentation of the 6th package of sanctions by the Commission, no agreement has been reached yet. The issue has been discussed with undiminished intensity for the last 48 hours, at the level of ambassadors of the Member States, who are meeting this morning, in a last-ditch effort to find a consensual solution.

The proposal, which is on the table, concerns a total embargo until the end of the year on Russian oil imports by sea (2/3 of imports) and an exception, currently, on Russian oil imports via pipelines (1 / 3 of imports) and in particular through the Russian pipeline “Druzhba” which supplies Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The European Council will be briefed on these talks today, but an agreement at ambassadorial level is expected later in the week, according to Commission imgs.

The theme of energy at the leaders dinner

Over dinner, the “27” EU leaders will discuss the issue energy and high prices that hit households and businesses hard. The discussion will focus on funding the REPowerEU project for the phasing out of Russian fossil fuels, presented by the Commission on 18 May.

“We need to accelerate our energy transition if we want to phase out our dependence on Russian fossil fuels as soon as possible. “Based on our decisions in Versailles, we will discuss the best ways to move forward,” Charles Michel said in a letter of invitation to the 27.

“At the March summit, the ’27 called on the Commission to put forward proposals that effectively tackle the problem of excessive electricity prices while maintaining the integrity of the single market.” However, according to a diplomatic img, some Member States do not consider REPowerEU to address the pressing issue of energy prices. Therefore, the issue of EU electricity market reform is likely to be raised again, including the possibility of an energy price cap and a common market platform. natural gas According to a European official, “we are asking the Commission to consider how price ceilings could be achieved but in cooperation with international partners.”

EU leaders will discuss food security and European defense

On the second day of the Summit, European leaders will discuss the dramatic impact on global food security posed by Russia’s military aggression. The discussion will be attended, via teleconference, by the President of the African Union Maki Sal.

Finally, European defense will occupy the “27” leaders, as Russia’s war against Ukraine further strengthened their ambition for a strong, coordinated European defense. The priority is for Member States to coordinate their efforts to replenish stocks and build a European industrial base.