Brussels (EFE).- The leaders of the European Union (EU) began a two-day summit on Thursday focused on how to continue helping Ukraine and the Global South due to the impact of the war, as well as improving European competitiveness, analyze trade agreements and advances in immigration policy.
The first point of the day is a meeting with the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, to discuss key geopolitical issues and global challenges, since “we are -he said upon his arrival- at a crucial moment”, with “a perfect storm in many developing countries
This will be followed by a video conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will join European leaders for the eighth time since the Russian invasion.
“The Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing tremendous suffering to the Ukrainian people, but it also has a huge global impact (…) there is a combination of factors that lead to a dramatic situation. Sustainability goals are going backwards: more hunger, more poverty, less education, less health services in many parts of the world and it is evident that our international financial system is not adequate to face such a huge challenge”, Guterres warned.
For Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Ukraine needs support, “not only from the EU”, but “international, especially from the Global South” because “if we do not send a clear signal that Russia’s actions are unacceptable, we will lose the international order norm-based”.
The leaders are expected today to endorse the agreement reached on Monday by the EU foreign ministers, to invest 2 billion euros in the delivery to Ukraine of one million 155mm howitzers and, if requested, missiles, already either of those that they have in their arsenals or that they buy jointly, as Estonia proposed.
“I will have the opportunity and the honor to present our proposal to give ammunition to Ukraine,” said the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
the role of china
The leaders will also have the opportunity to discuss Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow, where he met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this week and presented a peace plan.
The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, was in favor of Xi and Zelenski also having “direct contact” to discuss the Chinese peace proposal, but noted that “the devil is in the details”, so it will depend on Kiev. .
For his part, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wanted to emphasize that “the EU is united, acts jointly and in solidarity” and “this is something that Putin could never imagine, that support for Ukraine would be so staunch.”
After the chapter dedicated to Ukraine, the leaders will continue with the debate on European competitiveness that they started at their last meeting, after the Commission has presented concrete proposals to boost the clean technology industry and the improvement of the supply of critical raw materials.
Already at dinner, the debate will focus, also in a geopolitical key, on the EU’s trade policy and the will in Brussels to close new agreements, such as the one signed with Mercosur in 2019, but not yet ratified due to reluctance, among others. , from France.
It will also be at dinner when migration returns to this council through a report to be presented by the Swedish presidency of the EU and the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, was today “satisfied” with the conclusions that the Council expects to approve on the matter, which “ask the European Commission to proceed quickly”, and considered that it is “excellent news” that the migration issue “today is considered central, something unthinkable a few months ago.”
Already tomorrow, Friday, the leaders will especially address the recent turmoil in the financial markets and will have an exchange on energy about gas reserves with the beginning of spring and will also address the reform of the electricity market proposed by Brussels.