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BRUSSELS >> European Union leaders on Thursday began talks on how to bolster the bloc’s defences against Russia before signing a security pact with Ukraine and agreeing on EU priorities for the next five years and top appointments in EU institutions.
Meeting for the first time officially since the June 6-9 European Parliament elections, EU27 leaders extended a warm welcome to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who made a rare personal appearance in Brussels for the signing ceremony.
The security pact underscores the EU’s support for Kiev as it fights Moscow’s aggression for a third consecutive year despite gains by the far-right in European Parliament elections, uncertainty from early French elections and November’s U.S. presidential election.
The agreement sets out EU commitments to support Ukraine in nine areas of security policy, including arms supplies, military training, defense industry cooperation and mine clearance.
“These commitments will help Ukraine defend itself, resist destabilization and deter future acts of aggression. It is further concrete evidence of the EU’s unwavering determination to support Ukraine in the long term,” said Charles Michel, President of the Council of EU member states.
Draft conclusions from the summit showed the leaders stressing that “Russia must not win” and that Ukraine must get back lands annexed by Moscow, and reiterating their commitment to support Ukraine for as long as necessary.
Defense debate
The war in Ukraine has exposed the EU’s unpreparedness for conflict as it struggles to supply Kiev with enough weapons to counter Russia, and has prompted calls for greater EU coordination on investments in defence systems and the defence industry.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the summit that between 1999 and 2021, the EU increased its defense spending by 20 percent, China by 600 percent and Russia by 300 percent, according to diplomats. That was before Moscow dramatically increased its military spending after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
“We have underinvested in defense and now we have to make up for lost time,” the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, told reporters. “We have to provide massive financial support to strengthen our defense capabilities. This will not be easy.”
Von der Leyen told leaders that the EU needs to invest 500 billion euros ($535.3 billion) in defense over the next decade, diplomats said. Financing options range from national contributions, a dedicated revenue stream called the EU’s own coffers and co-borrowing, she said.
Eastern defense line against Russia
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Wednesday called on the EU to set up a defence line along its borders with Russia and Belarus to protect the bloc from military threats from Moscow and other malign activity.
“We are talking about Europe’s external borders,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters.
“We are talking about a threat to the entire EU and the political West.”
Investing in defence is part of the EU’s “strategic agenda” that EU leaders are aiming to agree before dinner on Thursday, a document that will tell member states’ governments what they want EU institutions to focus on during their 2024-2029 term.
Beyond defense, the draft strategic agenda calls for making the EU more competitive to withstand economic pressure from China and the United States and preparing the EU for enlargement to include Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans.
During the dinner discussions, leaders of the 27 nations are expected to nominate von der Leyen for a second term as president of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive body.
As part of the package agreed by three pro-EU centrist political groups, Portugal’s former prime minister, António Costa, will chair the European Council of EU leaders and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will be responsible for foreign policy.
The three groups – centre-right, centre-left and liberals – have the majority needed to approve the deal at the summit, but there may still be resistance, with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban critical of the pact.
(1 dollar = 0.9341 euros)
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