EU leaders summit begins in France’s Versailles

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - EU leaders met in Versailles, France on Thursday to discuss Ukraine’s EU membership and defense reforms.

“This is a defining moment for Europe” because President Vladimir Putin's war questions "the resilience of democracies,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters on the way to the two-day informal gathering which is hosted by the French government holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The EU heads of state and government will discuss the humanitarian situation in Ukraine amid Russia’s war on its neighbor and proposals on additional sanctions against Russia.

Leaders will also exchange views on the divisive topic of Ukraine’s EU membership after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the candidacy request two weeks ago.

Von der Leyen stressed that Ukraine is “part of our European family. We want a free and democratic Ukraine with whom we share a common destiny.”

However, Dutch Prime Minister in his doorstep speech ruled out the option of accelerating Ukraine’s EU integration.

He stressed that his country was one of the first ones to support sanctions against Russia and send military support, and “the Netherlands and Ukraine stand shoulder to shoulder but there is no such thing as a fast-tracking accession."

EU leaders will also “give a strong signal of European Union's determination” on phasing out Russian gas after drawing “geopolitical consequences” of the war in Ukraine, Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, confirmed on the way to the summit.

They are also expected to agree on increasing defense spending and strengthening military capabilities based on EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s Strategic Compass.

- ‘EU must stand prepared to all scenarios’

French President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, warned that “EU must stand prepared to all scenarios” and “we have to pay the price” of sanctions since “our democracy is in danger."

“It must prepare itself to be independent of Russian gas, to be independent in order to ensure its own defense, to be independent in terms of market supplies,” he added.

He confirmed that the EU leaders are “very committed” to holding talks with the Russian president and will speak again “in the upcoming hours.”

Macron stressed that Putin’s conditions for negotiating peace with Ukraine “are not acceptable for anybody” and based on the ongoing Russian “aggression,” he does not expect a “diplomatic solution” in the short term.

He asserted that it is up to Putin to “propose something and we will work genuinely, collectively.”

The EU has so far adopted four sanctions packages against Russia, targeting among others Russian President Putin, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, oligarchs, and military officers, as well as excluding Russian and Belarusian banks from the international banking system SWIFT, and banning broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT media outlets.