EU leaders to discuss aid to Ukraine and strengthening of European defense on March 6
Tomorrow, March 6, a meeting of the Special European Council will take place in Brussels. Its two main topics are strengthening the defense of Europe and increasing assistance to Ukraine in the new context related to the initiatives of the US administration.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Ukrinform.
"It should be noted that this will not be an ordinary, but a Special European Council, which will take place in a new context resulting from the position of the new US administration on Ukraine. We have seen that the United States has already held certain talks with Russia that may affect the situation in Ukraine. There are clearly stated intentions, not only from the US president, for a peaceful settlement, negotiations, or at least a ceasefire in Ukraine and with the involvement of Ukraine. This context was not there before," said a senior EU official.
According to the EU official, the two main issues - the defense of Europe and support for Ukraine - that EU leaders will discuss tomorrow are closely interrelated, though not necessarily new. The leaders will continue the discussion on both topics that they started during an informal meeting in Brussels a month ago.
"It is important to emphasize that in the new context, the EU's position on Ukraine and its prospects, on ways to end the war in Ukraine, has not changed. The context is different. We need to consider the moments that can lead to negotiations, a ceasefire or a peace agreement. We all want peace to come to Ukraine. The EU also wants it to be a reliable, fair and lasting peace. We expect the European Council to define at least some of the principles of this new momentum that should be taken into account in future negotiations," the EU official said.
What will the final document contain?
According to him, the summit outcome document is expected to contain a stronger EU position on further support for Ukraine. The European Council will support the "peace through strength" approach, which means the active participation of EU countries in strengthening Ukraine's position "immediately and in the future." The EU is already the largest financial donor to Ukraine, and this year alone it is allocating more than 30 billion euros, including military aid.
"We have heard from most member states the intention to further increase such support for Ukraine. It is too early to talk about specific numbers, but it is clear that most member states have expressed their readiness for such additional assistance," the source said.
Commenting on the "new context" for a peaceful settlement in Ukraine proposed by the US administration, the source emphasized that the EU's position remains unchanged: peace in Ukraine must be just and lasting and must be achieved with respect for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The EU representative clarified that this refers to Ukraine's internationally recognized borders.
