At the European Council of Thursday 28 June, the European leaders are expected to express their determination to increase the strategic autonomy of the EU.
According to draft conclusions of which EUROPE has had sight, the leaders are expected to welcome the progress made in recent months and call for more.
Amongst other things, expectations cover the permanent structured cooperation, military mobility, reinforcing the common civil security and defence policy, resilience to hybrid and digital threats, the fight against misinformation and cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
On the last of these points, as their foreign affairs and defence ministers did earlier in the week (see EUROPE 12048), the European leaders will hold talks with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg. A new cooperation declaration may be signed at the NATO summit of 11 and 12 July.
Renewal of sanctions against Russia expected
As is customary, the European Council will review foreign-policy matters. Over dinner, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, will take stock of the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. On the basis of their analysis, the leaders may agree to renew economic sanctions against Russia.
On Monday 25 June, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, said that there had been no progress in the implementation of these agreements, which should lead to a further extension of the sanctions. “It is no secret that we have always linked the sanctions to the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, on which we have seen no results as yet. Unfortunately, there has been no improvement”, she explained.
In their conclusions, the heads of state or government are also expected to call on Russia to accept its responsibilities in the crash of flight MH17 over Ukraine on 17 July 2014 (see EUROPE 11125) and to cooperate fully with all efforts to establish the truth, justice and accountability. The report by the joint investigating team, published on 24 May, concluded that the equipment used to shoot down the aircraft unquestionably belonged to the Russian armed forces (see EUROPE 12027).
The leaders will also discuss transatlantic relations. In his letter of invitation, the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that “despite our tireless efforts to keep the unity of the West, transatlantic relations are under immense pressure due to the policies of President Trump. It is my belief that, while hoping for the best, we must be ready to prepare our Union for worst-case scenarios”, he warned. Amongst other things, discussions will concern trade (see article).
The heads of state or government are also expected to adopt the conclusions adopted by their ministers, on Tuesday 26 June, on enlargement (see other article and EUROPE 12049). They will also welcome the historic agreement between Greece and FYROM over the question of the name (see EUROPE 12043). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant, with the editorial team)