EU leaders are meeting in Brussels on Thursday 9 February for an EU summit on Ukraine, during which they will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
After a daytime visit to London and a dinner in Paris with the French President and the German Chancellor on Wednesday, the Ukrainian President confirmed he will travel to Brussels on Thursday.
There are serious rumours, not formally confirmed for security reasons, that the President will address the European Parliament, which has been convened for an extraordinary session at 10am. Mr Zelensky will then reportedly go to the European Council to spend at least the end of the morning there.
Without confirming Mr Zelensky’s visit, a European diplomat said it would be “a strong symbol of the recognition of the role played by the EU” and an opportunity for the Ukrainian president to express his expectations for the coming months.
In particular, according to one source, Mr Zelensky could stress the need to speed up the shipment of weapons to his country – Ukraine lacks Soviet-era 120 and 122 mm shells, also needs 125 mm shells and claims that the arrival of long-range artillery is too slow. On Tuesday, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany announced the dispatch of more than 100 Leopard 1A5 tanks, spare parts, ammunition and training in the use of these tanks. Mr Zelensky is also expected to recall that his country’s goal is to become an EU member. Finally, his presence in Brussels could allow him to meet bilaterally with the leaders of the EU Member States.
Continued support for Ukraine
In addition to this meeting, the heads of state or government of the EU Member States are expected to discuss the situation in Ukraine once again, a few days before the first anniversary of the Russian invasion and their support for Kyiv.
According to the draft conclusions obtained by EUROPE, the European Council should reiterate that the EU will stand by Ukraine with “ unwavering support for as long as necessary”. It will reportedly promise to continue providing political, economic, financial, military and humanitarian support to Ukraine. EU and the Member State assistance already amounts to 67 billion euros.
The European Council could also stress its readiness to adopt new sanctions “in close cooperation and coordination with global partners”. “Anti-circumvention measures will be strengthened”, warn the leaders. While the EU sanctions regime does not allow for the sanctioning of a country that assists in circumventing sanctions, it does allow for the sanctioning of third country entities and individuals who do so.
Several sources said that discussions on the 10th sanctions package will only start after the European Council. “The impact (of the measures) is increasingly powerful and its impact on the supply chains that Russia needs is also being felt”, a diplomat said.
Leaders should also reiterate the EU’s strong commitment to accountability and give full support to Ukraine and the international community for accountability, including the establishment of an appropriate mechanism for the prosecution of the crime of aggression, the investigation by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and the creation of an international centre for the prosecution of the crime of aggression.
The European Council is expected as well to support Volodymyr Zelensky’s Just Peace Initiative and peace formula and reaffirm the EU’s commitment to work actively with Ukraine on the 10-point peace plan.
The thorny issue of frozen assets
In addition, EU leaders could address the issue of the use of frozen Russian assets in the EU and promise to intensify their work on this issue. “It is legally quite complicated, but we are working hard and also at G7 level”, said a European diplomat, who hopes that the summit meeting can move the issue forward.
The Europeans are reportedly considering how to put the €300 billion of Russian Central Bank reserves frozen by Member States on the market to recover the interest, which would be used for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Diplomats have questioned how this could be done, who would manage these funds and where they would be placed. A working group could be set up, according to several diplomats, to study the issue in detail.
The Baltic countries and Poland are asking for the leaders’ guidelines to be the basis for the legislative proposal on the use of frozen assets, which they want to see drafted without undue delay. They call for more creativity in considering the possible scope and other options to enhance the impact of the measures. In their view, the funds should be used as soon as possible and not wait for the end of the war and the signing of a peace agreement. Furthermore, the four countries believe that the EU should be at the forefront of promoting global efforts for an international compensation mechanism for Ukraine and the restoration of Ukraine.
In addition, the leaders are expected to underline Ukraine’s “considerable efforts” to achieve the goals underlying its EU candidate status and encourage it to continue on this path.
See the draft conclusions of 6 February: https://aeur.eu/f/58q (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with the editorial staff)