The European Ministers of Foreign Affairs will meet again on Monday 11 April in Luxembourg to discuss, among other things, the situation in Ukraine, while the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, visited Kyiv on Friday 8 April.
On the same day, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, announced that a summit will be held on 30 and 31 May at which the heads of state or government will discuss Ukraine, but also defence and energy, following the Versailles summit of 10 and 11 March.
The ministers are expected to take stock of the sanctions against Russia and Belarus after the adoption of the fifth package on Friday 8 April (see other news). The ministers could already discuss additional sanctions, although an EU source said an embargo on Russian oil was not on the table.
The ministers will discuss support for Ukraine, including Mr Borrell’s proposal to commit an additional €500 million under the European Peace Facility for Ukraine, which would bring the amount of support to €1.5 billion since the beginning of the war. An EU source expressed confidence that the EU Council would reach a political agreement on the new aid.
The collection of evidence on war crimes committed in Ukraine is expected to be part of the discussions. The aim is to be able to organise and coordinate this work. By the end of March, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine had already set up a joint investigation team to investigate these crimes, with the support of the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) (see EUROPE 12920/3).
From Bucha, the High Representative announced the launch of a project worth €7.5 million to support the collection of data on missing persons. In addition, he said, the EU civilian mission, EUAM Ukraine, will support the Ukrainian Prosecutor General with training and equipment to conduct the investigation and collect evidence.
On Friday 8 April, at least 35 people were killed and 100 injured after two missiles fell on the Kramatorsk railway station, through which thousands of people have been evacuated in several days. The High Representative, visiting Kyiv, condemned the strikes on Twitter. “This is yet another attempt to close escape routes for those fleeing this unjustified war and cause human suffering”, he said.
The EU Council is also expected to discuss the continued isolation of Russia on the international scene, and the convincing work to be done to bring new countries on board with the EU’s position. On Thursday 7 April, the UN Human Rights Council suspended Russia from its seat, a vote welcomed by the High Representative of the Union. Ministers are also expected to address the international consequences of the war, including food.
They will discuss as well strengthening strategic communication and combating disinformation about the war in Ukraine.
Global gateway. The ministers will then discuss the ‘Global Gateway’ strategy, which aims to develop connectivity projects around the world, in particular to “avoid countries being trapped in other models”, according to a source. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also after the EU-China summit on 1 April, a discussion is needed to analyse the impacts of recent developments and the necessary changes in strategy. Ministers are expected to provide political guidance during these discussions, according to another EU source.
Over lunch, the ministers will meet their Norwegian counterpart, Anniken Huitfeldt, and their Icelandic counterpart, Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, to discuss the war in Ukraine.
Current affairs. The Ministers will soon take stock of the issue of the Western Balkans, in connection with the Russian aggression and at a time when these countries are facing strong pro-Russian propaganda. According to one source, the aim is to strengthen the ties of these countries to the EU.
The EU Council will return to the future of the EU’s CSDP missions in Mali - EUTM and EUCAP Sahel Mali - at a time when abuses by armed forces supported by Wagner mercenaries appear to be increasing (see EUROPE 12925/14). Member State ambassadors decided this week to suspend operational training of the armed forces and national guard by EUTM and EUCAP, but to maintain non-operational training, such as education, counselling and human rights training (see EUROPE 12921/21). This decision, which was supported by the High Representative, is “partial, temporary and reversible”, according to several sources. A strategic review of both missions is to be carried out in the coming weeks. Aid to the country under the European Peace Facility is also suspended (see EUROPE 12845/20).
The ministers will discuss the situation in Libya as well, where political progress is lagging behind, which could have security implications. In particular, they are expected to look at ways to assist the parties and the UN to move forward.
The EU Council will also discuss the situation in Yemen, following the announcement of a two-month ceasefire (see EUROPE 12925/27) and the decision by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to transfer his powers to a Presidential Council.
Finally, the Czech Minister, Jan Lipavský, will inform his colleagues about the high-level dialogue on the Indo-Pacific that the future Czech Presidency of the EU Council will host on 13 and 14 June in Prague.
Prior to the EU Council meeting, the ministers will also have a breakfast meeting with the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, at the invitation of the Netherlands. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Léa Marchal)