According to draft conclusions, the European Council is set to promise additional support for Ukraine, including military aid.
Before turning to the subject of Ukraine, as usual, the leaders will hold talks with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, via videoconference.
“The EU will continue to provide strong financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes”, states the draft summit conclusions dated 24 October, obtained by EUROPE.
The European Council is set to highlight “sustainable military support to Ukraine, notably through the European Peace Facility, including the swift adoption of the 8th set of assistance measures” (see EUROPE 13277/5) “and the EU Military Assistance Mission”. The Council should also stress the importance of bilateral efforts by Member States and, “in the immediate term, the need to accelerate the delivery of military support to Ukraine to help meet its pressing military and defence needs, including missiles and ammunition, notably under the one million rounds of artillery ammunition initiative, as well as air defence systems to protect its people and its critical and energy infrastructure”.
Fearing that Russia will again use winter as a weapon, the European Council should promise that the EU and its Member States will step up the provision of humanitarian aid and civil protection, including equipment such as electricity generators, power transformers, mobile heating stations and high-voltage and lighting equipment.
Recalling that in the longer term the EU and Member States will contribute to future security commitments to Ukraine, the European Council is set to invite the EU High Representative, with the guidance of the Council, to consult Ukraine on these future commitments and to report on these discussions to the European Council in mid-December.
The EU and its Member States should also commit to continuing their increased diplomatic efforts and cooperation with Ukraine and other countries “to ensure the widest possible international support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace and the key principles and objectives of Ukraine’s Peace Formula, with a view to a Global Peace Summit being held”. The third Peace Summit will take place on 28 and 29 October in Malta.
In addition, EU leaders should call for “decisive progress” on how extraordinary revenues held by private entities and derived directly from Russia’s stranded assets could be earmarked for Ukraine’s support, recovery and reconstruction, in accordance with EU and international law. Accordingly, they would call on the High Representative and the Commission to speed up work with a view to presenting proposals.
The European Council should also call for continuing to work on holding Russia responsible for the crime of aggression and other very serious crimes under international law, with a view to the creation of a tribunal to judge the crime of aggression against Ukraine and the establishment of a future compensation mechanism.
In addition, in the Council’s view, Russia’s ability to wage its war of aggression must continue to be weakened, “including by further strengthening sanctions, and through their full and effective implementation and the prevention of their circumvention, especially for high-risk goods, in close cooperation with partners and allies”. The EU is currently preparing a 12th package of sanctions.
The European Council should also urge all countries, including North Korea, not to support Russia.
Finally, it is set to invite the European Commission to propose new measures to further strengthen the capacity of the EU’s Solidarity Lanes.
See the European Council's draft conclusions of October 24: https://aeur.eu/f/99d (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with the editorial staff)