Status: 29.10.2023, 10:17 a.m.
By: Stephan Israel
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The EU will pledge its support to Ukraine at the meeting of heads of state and government and push for humanitarian aid for the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Precise formulations are wrestled with until the very end.
After days of cacophony, Brussels is now sending a signal of unity on the Middle East crisis, a diplomat said ahead of the start of the two-day EU summit today. Whether it will work, however, remains to be seen. Until the very end, the Permanent Representatives Committee struggled for words. The focus is on the issue of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians. Member States such as Spain or Ireland want to see the call for a ceasefire enshrined in the conclusions, while others want at least one or more breaks, windows or humanitarian corridors.
Language is important, an EU diplomat defended the semantic discussions. Traditionally, there are different sensibilities and perceptions of the Middle East conflict among the member states. However, this does not mean that joint action is not possible. The aim is to ensure humanitarian aid for all civilians without at the same time calling into question Israel's right to fight Hamas terrorism. "We have to find a middle ground," said one diplomat. It was between those who called for a humanitarian ceasefire and others who insisted that Israel was still under attack and had a right to defend itself.
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Germany against "humanitarian pause"
Germany is one of the countries that was critical of the call for a "humanitarian pause" in the General Committee of Representatives (Coreper). "We will have a consensus in the end," an EU diplomat said on Wednesday. The European Council calls for continuous, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, the draft conclusions say. All necessary measures must be taken to ensure that aid reaches those in need. With this passage, the EU wants to take into account fears that Hamas could divert part of the aid for its own purposes. The draft reiterates that the EU "strongly condemns Hamas and its brutal and indiscriminate attacks on all of Israel." Hamas' use of civilians as human shields is a particularly reprehensible atrocity.
The EU reiterates Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law and calls on Hamas to immediately release the hostages without preconditions. Another topic is how to avoid a regional escalation, which will only turn into an even greater disaster. Diplomats expected some heads of state and government to report on their contacts of the last few days. There will also be discussions on how the peace process can be restarted in the longer term. The two-state solution remains the only way the EU wants to stick.
EU reaffirms support for Ukraine
At the summit, foreign policy crises and conflicts will push economic policy issues and the discussion on the MFF into the background. It is no coincidence that the summit will begin with a discussion on the situation in Ukraine, to which President Volodymyr Zelensky will also be connected. The summit will reaffirm continued assistance to Ukraine, diplomats stressed. This is not because there are doubts among the member states, but in response to concerns in Ukraine that it will be forgotten against the backdrop of the Middle East conflict.
The discussion on the Commission's proposal to put arms financing for Ukraine on a longer-term basis and to earmark 20 billion euros for this purpose over the next four years is not making any real progress. However, discussions on the twelfth package of sanctions against Russia have begun, with a focus on dual-use products and loopholes in the sanctions regime. In the event of an import ban on Russian diamonds, a solution is also foreseeable within the framework of the G7 states in the coming weeks.
Parallel summit on conflict between Serbia and Kosovo
A section is also devoted to the stalled dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and the security situation in northern Kosovo following the attack by Serb paramilitaries on the Kosovo police. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell has summoned Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti to Brussels at short notice for crisis meetings on the sidelines of the summit. The two opponents are to meet separately with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The aim is to make it clear to Vucic and Kurti that they are jeopardising their countries' European path with their blockade stance, according to a diplomat. Both sides must now take the agreed steps towards normalisation, in line with the agreements reached in Ohrid and Brussels.
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Sahel and Nagorno-Karabakh
Over dinner, the heads of state and government will also discuss the situation in the Sahel. At the beginning of the week, the EU adopted the legal basis for future sanctions against the coup plotters in Niger. In the conclusion, the EU calls for the release of President Bazoum and his family, who are isolated and under house arrest in the capital Niamey.
The tensions between Azerbaijan and the ethnic cleansing in the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh will also be discussed. France, in particular, is pushing for a right of return for the displaced Armenian population. The danger that Azerbaijan will attempt a military advance into Armenia's heartland with a view to a corridor towards the exclave of Nakhichevan has also not been averted. In the summit conclusions, the EU stressed its intention to support the normalisation process and peace between the two countries on the basis of mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity.