The EU has so far adopted four sanctions packages against war-mongering Russia, and others seem to be in the works. If Hungary’s Prime Minister Orban has his way, they won’t affect Russian oil and gas.
The European Union wants to double its military aid to Ukraine. The EU Commission has proposed providing a further 500 million euros, said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the second day of the EU special summit on Ukraine in Versailles. “Everyone was fully aware that we need to step up our military support to Ukraine.”
Immediately after the start of the Russian war of aggression, the EU heads of state and government agreed, in an unprecedented move for the first time in the history of the Union, to provide EU funds for military aid amounting to 500 million euros. The neutral Austria made the decision possible by using the possibility of “constructive abstention” provided for in the EU treaties.
Borrell expressed confidence that the heads of state and government will approve this money. The EU is also considering imposing further sanctions on Russian oligarchs and the Russian economy. So far, she has decided on four packages of sanctions against Russia.
EU is considering another investment package
On the first day of the summit, the EU leaders could not bring themselves to impose an oil and gas embargo on Russia, as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán confirmed on Facebook this morning. Orbán was the most vehement opponent of this measure. European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans defended the move on Friday. There must still be the possibility of further sanctions, for example if hospitals are bombed, said the Dutchman on Friday on “Deutschlandfunk”. “The war has now taken on truly barbaric forms.”
In order to cushion the economic consequences of the Russian attack on Ukraine, the EU states are also discussing a new investment package. “In a crisis it is always necessary to invest against the crisis,” said Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP). “Investments are now necessary and important, as well as making them jointly.” French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that European citizens and companies must be protected from rising energy prices. The EU must prepare for gas deliveries to Russia on “all scenarios ” to be prepared.
Discussions on Ukraine’s EU membership application
The EU states are also discussing Ukraine’s EU membership application at the summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had called for his country’s immediate integration into the EU. There are different views on this among the member states: while Austria and Germany, among others, are stepping on the brakes, eastern EU states such as Poland and Slovenia in particular are demanding immediate accession prospects for Ukraine.
Nehammer was reluctant in this regard. Such an application for accession is “extremely lengthy and very complex”. Ukraine now needs solidarity as well as quick and unbureaucratic help. Macron emphasized that the EU should send a signal, but must weigh it up carefully. “Can we start an accession process today with a country that is at war? I don’t think so. Should we slam the door and say: never? That would be unfair. Can we forget about the balance in the region? You have to be careful .” Moldova is also “very fragile”.
Instead of Ukraine’s accession, EU diplomats had brought up “association plus plus”, i.e. closer ties between Ukraine and the EU internal market. French Europe Minister Clement Beaune underlined the EU’s goal of making itself independent of Russian energy supplies.
At a glance
The Ukraine war overshadows the two-day special summit of EU heads of state and government that begins on Thursday. At the summit, the EU also wants to agree on strengthening its defense capacities, including higher defense spending, in view of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.
Paris has discussed another EU aid fund modeled on the Corona recovery fund, which is intended to strengthen European defense and security of energy supply. The Corona Fund has a volume of 750 billion euros, and the EU Commission can take out loans itself. However, the French proposal was met with skepticism in a number of EU countries such as the Netherlands.
(APA/dpa/Ed.)