EU leaders summit to kick off on Thursday

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU leaders will gather on Thursday in Brussels for a two-day summit to discuss recent developments on the war in Ukraine, and security and energy issues.

The leaders will assess the latest developments on the ground, the bloc’s aid for Ukraine, as well as the EU’s efforts in hosting the Ukrainian refugees.

US President Joe Biden will also join the EU summit after attending an extraordinary summit of NATO leaders in Brussels on the same day.

The EU leaders and Biden will discuss the strengthened transatlantic cooperation in the light of the Russian war in Ukraine, as well as further support for the country.

The heads of states and governments will consider new sanctions against Russia, including plans on introducing a ban on Russian oil, and the European Commission’s recent proposal on reducing the bloc’s dependency on Russian energy.

However, the topic is expected to be highly divisive. While Poland and the Baltic countries are advocating for an oil and gas embargo, certain member states, such as Germany and Hungary, are very reluctant to give up their Russian energy supply.

In addition, the leaders will talk about the economic consequences of the Ukrainian war, including the rising energy and food prices, as well as possible supply disruptions.

Joining the initiative of Spain, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, France, and Belgium are expected to present plans on capping energy prices for consumers and reforming the pricing rules at the EU energy markets.

The heads of states and governments are also meant to endorse the Strategic Compass, the bloc’s latest defense and security action plan.

The strategy seeks to set up an EU force of 5,000 troops swiftly deployable in international crises, secure the bloc against cyberattacks, and ensure smarter joint use of European military capabilities in line with NATO requirements.

The heads of states and governments will discuss the COVID-19 situation as well.