Over dinner at the European summit on Thursday 21 October, EU heads of state will discuss relations with Russia.
The discussion was requested by Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi in June with the aim, as Donald Tusk’s invitation to the summit explains, to examine long-term, overarching relations with this important neighbour. The summit needs to have the opportunity for a frank, honest and broad debate about EU relations with Russia, not necessarily under pressure from decisions or sanctions, explained a high-ranking EU official. A European source said it would be a very sensitive debate in terms of policies, and the high-ranking diplomat said he thought it was important to discuss the dimension of selective commitment. In March 2015, foreign ministers agreed to such a commitment with Russia on issues of clear interest to the EU (see EUROPE 11512). A European diplomat said it was not a question of changing one’s behaviour towards Russia, but rather or finding a way of cooperating and being more effective in joint enterprises.
A number of sources say the talks will cover the role of Russia in its neighbourhood, including Ukraine, but also in Syria, counter-terrorism, disinformation and security challenges with Russian incursions into European airspace. Some leaders might put the question of sanctions on the table in connection with Ukraine and also with Syria, although this is not at all the aim of the talks. In a letter to Tusk on 19 October, the leaders of the political groups at the European Parliament – Manfred Weber (EPP), Guy Verhofstadt (ALDE) and Rebecca Harms (Greens/EFA) – called on Tusk as the president of the European Council to initiate a decision at the European Council in order to issue further measures against Russia if it continues to violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and keep bombing civilians. However, a number of European sources say no decisions of this type will be taken at the summit.
Syria and association agreement with Ukraine also to be discussed. The situation in Syria will be a subject of discussion over dinner in its own right. Just like the Foreign Affairs Council on 17 October (see EUROPE 11647), the European summit will adopt a conclusions document in which it will condemn the aerial bombardment of Aleppo and demand immediate humanitarian access to the city. Europe’s leaders are expected to state that those guilty of violating human rights should be held to account. They may also give support to the humanitarian initiative for Aleppo launched by the high representative (see EUROPE 11637).
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte will brief his colleagues on the ratification process for the association agreement with Ukraine, following the Dutch referendum on 6 April rejecting the ratification. Rutte may submit a number of options for finding a solution. He has promised the Dutch parliament to unveil his position by 1 November (see EUROPE 11632). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with Aminata Niang, Elodie Lamer, Solenn Paulic and Jan Kordys)