According to a draft European Council conclusions dated 19 June and obtained by EUROPE, EU leaders are expected to reconfirm “the EU’s readiness to provide sustainable military support to Ukraine for as long as it takes, notably through the EU Military Assistance Mission and the European Peace Facility”.
The European Council could therefore welcome the decision to raise the financial ceiling of the European Peace Facility by €3.5 billion, while the ambassadors of the Member States could give their agreement to the increase this week.
EU leaders could also ask for work to be taken forward on all aspects of the joint delivery and procurement of munitions, in particular the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP). Although the European Parliament has adopted its position, which is identical to the Commission’s proposal, discussions are dragging on in the EU Council.
The leaders should also ask the co-legislators to quickly reach an agreement on the Act on the European Defence Industry reinforcement through common procurement (EDIRPA), which is currently being negotiated at interinstitutional level. The Commission could also be called upon to present a proposal for a European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP) to strengthen the capacity and resilience of the European defence technological and industrial base, including SMEs.
“It underlines the importance of Member States’ continued efforts to help meet Ukraine’s pressing military and defence needs.”, the leaders should say.
The European Council is also expected to condemn “in the strongest terms” the destruction of the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, pointing out that the destruction of civilian infrastructure is a war crime. “The European Union and its Member States stand ready to provide further support to Ukraine, in addition to the emergency assistance for relief efforts provided via the Union Civil Protection Mechanism”, the European Council is expected to announce.
The leaders could also promise to intensify diplomatic efforts to ensure the widest possible international support for the essential principles and objectives of Ukraine’s peace formula, and reiterate the EU’s “firm determination” to support the country’s repair, recovery and reconstruction. The European Council could reconsider the Commission’s proposal to create a ‘Ukraine facility’ (see other news).
The EU’s firm resolve to ensure that Russia is held fully accountable for its war of aggression against Ukraine should be reiterated by the EU Council, which could welcome the adoption of the 11th sanctions package. After weeks of negotiations, the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU could reach agreement on the package this Wednesday.
The Heads of State or Government will also hold talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
See the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/7lx (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)