As the Russian air attacks on Ukraine continue, European leaders are expected to discuss on the evening of Wednesday April 17 the situation in Ukraine once again and the support to be given to Kyiv.
They will first hold talks, by videoconference, with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky. Further to a speech that he gave on Monday 15 April, he could remind us that “the absolute priority (is) air defence and the arming (of) combatants on the front line”. The President drew a parallel with the situation in the Middle East and the support of several countries for the protection of Israeli skies. “Israel is not a member of NATO, so no action, such as triggering Article 5, was required. And nobody was drawn into the war. They have simply contributed to the protection of human life”, he stressed, pointing out that the impact of ballistic missiles, if they are not intercepted, is the same everywhere. “European skies could have benefited from the same level of protection a long time ago, if Ukraine had received the same total support from its partners in the interception of drones and missiles”, he added.
According to draft conclusions obtained by Agence Europe, the European Council should strongly condemn Russia’s ongoing air and missile attacks on civilians and Ukraine’s civilian and critical infrastructure, including the recent intensified attacks on the energy sector. He should also stress the need to “urgently provide” Ukraine with air defence and to speed up and intensify the supply of all necessary military assistance, including artillery ammunition.
The supply of Patriot batteries requested by Ukraine could be discussed by the leaders. Ukraine would need seven of these batteries - one of which would have to be supplied by Germany - and western countries would have around a hundred.
“We have to see who has them and who can get rid of them, it’s not easy”, explained a European diplomat. And furthermore: “In the United States, they’re on the shelf; in the Member States, these weapons are used for protection”.
See the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/bs2 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with the editorial staff)