US President Joe Biden will attend a one-and-a-half hour session of the European Council in Brussels on Thursday 24 March to discuss with his European counterparts the war in Ukraine provoked by Russia and the coordinated Western response.
According to a senior EU official, the aim will be to reaffirm unity over the Russian invasion, adding that cooperation with the US was “excellent”. Mr Biden’s presence is a “celebration of the fact that we have more or less moved forward hand in hand”, added a European diplomat.
Discussions are expected to focus on the evolution of the war after a month of fighting, support for Ukraine and the international dimension, to put further pressure on Russia.
According to his security adviser Jake Sullivan, the US president is coming to Europe to call for further action. Mr Biden will join his allies “to impose new sanctions on Russia and strengthen existing sanctions” to prevent Moscow from circumventing the measures, Mr Sullivan said.
But several European sources recalled the importance of the sanctions already adopted by the EU and the European effort that these sanctions imply - due to the greater trade and energy links between the Europeans and Russia.
The debate could include an embargo on Russian energy, imposed by Washington, but which divides Member States and which, according to an EU source, is not on the table.
There will be no “big announcement”, a diplomat said. Several European sources stressed that the main thing was to ensure that the sanctions already adopted were properly applied and to fight loopholes, in particular via third states that allow Russia to circumvent the sanctions.
EU leaders should assess whether to adopt new sanctions. According to a European diplomat, it will be “a stocktaking exercise to understand where new actions could be located”.
“It is not on the agenda today to take new sanctions, but it is necessary to prepare for all scenarios, including those of an escalation of the crisis which leads us, indeed, to take new sanctions”, added a French source at the Élysée. In its view, the new measures should be checked to ensure that they have an even greater impact on Russia, that they weaken Russia rather than the EU countries or their economies.
A week before a summit with President Xi, the EU27 will revisit China’s position after it abstained at the UN on two votes condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The US has warned that it could take action against Beijing if the Chinese supply military equipment to Moscow.
According to Mr Sullivan, Mr Biden is also expected to announce “joint action to strengthen Europe’s energy security” and unveil “additional US contributions” for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and for hosting Ukrainian refugees.
After the discussion with Mr Biden, the EU leaders will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by video conference and continue their discussion on the situation in Ukraine. In particular, they should agree on the creation of a trust fund to help Ukraine meet its immediate budgetary needs and, at the end of the war, the reconstruction effort (see EUROPE 12916/1).
In addition to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the heads of state and government are expected to address the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday evening.
On Friday morning, the leaders will discuss security and defence issues. In particular, they should take on board the Strategic Compass adopted on Monday by the European Foreign and Defence Ministers (see EUROPE 12915/10). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with editorial staff)