EU foreign affairs ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday 23 February to discuss, once again, the situation in Ukraine and events in the Middle East.
Ahead of the Council, ministers will meet for a breakfast on the manipulation of information and foreign interference, in particular by China and Russia, and on how to better counter them.
Ukraine. After their traditional exchange with their Ukrainian counterpart, ministers could adopt the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. “Next Monday, we plan to adopt the 20th set of sanctions against Russia”, explained the EU’s High Representative, Kaja Kallas, from Krakow (see other news), on Friday morning. In the afternoon, a senior official from the European External Action Service was hoping for an agreement by Tuesday 24, the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On Friday 20 February, at the time of going to press, discussions were continuing between EU Member States, notably on the total ban on maritime services for Russian crude oil. The majority of Member States would be in favour of this, including without waiting for their G7 partners. In her presentation of the package of measures, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, hoped that the measure would be taken in coordination with like-minded partners, following a decision by the G7. “There are discussions at EU and G7 level. The important thing is not who gets there first”, said a senior official.
The Council could adopt sanctions against several individuals linked to human rights violations.
The High Representative could also brief ministers on the €90 billion loan for 2026-2027, on which agreement could not be reached on Friday due to a Hungarian reservation (see other news).
Ministers are once again due to discuss military support for Ukraine, ongoing peace negotiations and European security guarantees. On Tuesday, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, will co-chair a meeting of the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ by videoconference. This meeting “will provide an opportunity to reiterate the commitment of the 35 participating countries to stand by Ukraine, to help it achieve the conditions for a robust and lasting peace that will guarantee the security of Ukraine and Europe”, according to the Élysée Palace.
The High Representative could also present to the ministers her non-paper entitled ‘Europe’s Core Interests in Ensuring a Comprehensive, Just and Lasting Peace and Security on the Continent’, revealed by RFE/RL, which details the concessions that Russia would have to make as part of the ongoing negotiations with Ukraine, including the reduction in the number of Russian troops and their withdrawal from neighbouring countries, the payment of reparations, accountability and the need to democratise society. According to RFE/RL, the document also demands that Russia put an end to disinformation campaigns, acts of sabotage, cyber attacks, airspace violations and interference in elections on European territory and in neighbouring countries. The document is said to be a long way from winning unanimous support among Member States, with some questioning the relevance of issuing such a document at this time.
Middle East. The Council will then discuss the situation in the Middle East, in particular the ‘Board of Peace’, the first meeting of which was held on 19 February in Washington DC, in the presence of the European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica - participation which was criticised by certain Member States, including France, and the chairs/co-chairs of the S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA groups in the European Parliament - and representatives of 14 Member States, most of whom were observers.
On the occasion of this ‘Board of Peace’, the US President, Donald Trump, announced that several countries, mainly from the Gulf, had pledged “more than $7 billion” to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, according to US General Jasper Jeffers, five countries - Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania - have already pledged troops to the stabilisation force. The High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, announced the start of recruitment for a new Palestinian police force in the Gaza Strip, stating that “in the first few hours, 2,000 people applied to join” this force. At the same time, Ms Šuica and the Jordanian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ayman Safadi, held talks on EU support for the training of Palestinian police officers, at a time when the EUPOL COPPS mission could be involved in this training and when Jordan and Egypt have undertaken to train police officers on their soil.
Ministers will host Nickolay Mladenov for a working lunch to discuss the situation in Gaza.
The Council could also examine Israel’s latest decisions to extend its illegal presence on the West Bank (see EUROPE 13811/29). The possibility of adopting measures against Israel, in particular against violent settlers, is expected to once again be raised by Member States.
Ministers may also discuss Syria, in particular the violence in the north-east of the country and the situation of Daesh members and their families held prisoner in the country. They could discuss measures to support the new government, including the organisation of a high-level dialogue.
Finally, the Council could return to Iran, whether on the repression of peaceful demonstrations or the country’s nuclear and ballistic programmes, and the risk of military intervention by the United States against the country. Ministers may discuss additional sanctions against some of those responsible for the repression. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)