BrusselsEuropean leaders continue to meet and star in supposedly historic summitsThey repeat like a mantra that the future of Europe is at stake and that they want to play a decisive role in the new world order being built. With that goal in mind, and as a first step, they demand a say in the negotiations for the resolution of the war in Ukraine. However, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin completely ignore the complaints of European Union leaders and continue to close agreements bilaterally, with only the forced approval of Volodymyr Zelensky.
This Thursday's meeting is the second European Council meeting held in Brussels this month, although it normally takes place once a quarter. Furthermore, European leaders have met in recent days in Munich, Paris, and London. However, the discussions have failed to unblock any immediate measures or impose a potential meeting. negotiating table between the United States and Russia, along with Ukraine.
For now, the EU heads of state and government have agreed on conclusions that reaffirm their "unbreakable" and "unwavering" commitment to Kiev, and assure them that they will continue to provide financial and arms support for as long as necessary, especially to strengthen Kiev's position during these final years. The only one who, as at the last European summit, refused to vote in favor is the Hungarian Prime Minister, the far-right pro-Russian Viktor Orbán, who before entering the meeting had already belittled his counterparts: "The EU is like a toothless lion," he said.
However, despite the fine words of commitment, European leaders have not supported the plan presented on Monday by the head of European diplomacy, Estonian Kaja Kallas, who proposed delivering some 40 billion euros extra in Ukraine. The conclusions don't even mention this proposal, which has been left dead in the water, and Zelensky has asked in a telematic address that the EU supply at least €5 billion in ammunition. However, the text agreed upon by the European leaders also leaves nothing specific about the money requested by the Ukrainian president.
On the other hand, the European Union has agreed to maintain sanctions against Putin's regime, and despite contacts to resolve the conflict, European leaders are committed to "increasing pressure on Russia, including through new sanctions and strengthening existing restrictions." In fact, this is what Zelensky has asked them to do. "Diplomatic efforts do not mean that Russia should be subjected to less pressure," the Ukrainian president insisted.
The Great Rearmament Plan
EU leaders also endorsed the major rearmament plan presented Wednesday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The plan proposes mobilizing a total of 800 billion euros and promote joint arms purchases from European arms companies, with the aim of regaining military autonomy and ending dependence in this area on the United States, which is increasingly alienated from the interests of the European bloc.
Broadly speaking, this roadmap enjoys almost unanimous support among member states. However, European leaders remain bogged down in the details. Southern countries, especially Spain and Greece, continue to push for the EU to deploy new COVID-19-like community funds for defense, while some northern countries, such as the Netherlands, are staunchly opposed and are only willing to accept the creation of eurobonds in the form of loans worth €150,000.
The other major debate about the rearmament plan concerns which projects can benefit from these eurobonds. Some countries, especially those in the south, are calling for aspects such as border control, cybersecurity, and hybrid attacks to be included in the security concept. On the other hand, the eastern countries and those that feel the threat of Russian expansionism more closely are reluctant because they prefer that efforts be directed primarily toward more traditional defense, such as anti-aircraft defense and the acquisition of tanks.
In any case, the agreed text makes no explicit reference to what type of defense Eurobonds will be, whether in the form of loans or transfers, and therefore not due to be repaid. Thus, as at the European summit two weeks ago, it leaves the door open for Von der Leyen to explore new avenues of financing for the major plan to increase military spending.
The differences between southern and eastern Europe, however, have not ended there. Pedro Sánchez and Giorgia Meloni have criticized the warlike drift, showing their opposition to the name of Von der Leyen's plan, which is called Rearm Europe"I don't like it at all," the Spanish president said. "It's a misleading name," the Italian prime minister said on Wednesday. In fact, both leaders have toned down their stance in favor of increasing military spending to bring their governing partners closer together: Sánchez with Sumar and Meloni with Matteo Salvini's Northern League. On the other hand, the countries of the continent's east continue to push to accelerate the increase in the bloc's military capacity.
The 'Coalition of the Willing' is finalizing details for a possible security mission in Ukraine.
"We don't know if there will be an agreement, and what I do know is that, if there is, we can't start planning anything after the fact; it has to be done now. That's why we are completely focused on this task," said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer shortly before participating in the meeting of the military leaders of the so-called Coalition of the Willing, a group of just over twenty countries—with the notable absence of the United States—who met in London this Thursday afternoon. Starmer stated that the meeting aims to "move from concepts to concrete plans, focusing particularly on the question of how to keep Ukraine's skies, seas, and borders safe, working, of course, with the Ukrainians."
Beyond the currently unresolvable detail that Russia does not want international troops in Ukraine, the meeting addresses the details of a possible mission to provide security guarantees to Ukraine. It's time to find out what the members of the Coalition of the Willing are willing to do. In other words, they are discussing behind closed doors in northwest London what role each country will play.
Will Italy provide ground troops? Will France provide naval support? What will the United Kingdom's contribution be? And what about Spain's? And under what flag might these troops operate: NATO, the Blue Helmets, or the various state flags? Who will provide air cover? And intelligence? And for how long would the presence of these guarantors of the hypothetical peace agreement be necessary? And, moreover, what would the rules of engagement be? What would happen if these troops were attacked or threatened by a Russian drone? Will they have the authority to shoot it down? Who grants this authority?
These are questions that, for the moment, have no answers, according to Quim Aranda from London.
![Russian attacks in the Kiev region on Wednesday, following the call between Putin and Trump.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 16 9"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
