EBN- European leaders are set to discuss their positions on the crisis in Ukraine and the expected arrival of new US President Donald Trump at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
The agenda of the meeting of EU heads of state and government also includes the Middle East, Syria, and issues of migration and its sustainability in the world.
European Council President Antonio Costa called for a European meeting to discuss the Ukrainian file, Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Brussels the day before and held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
A senior European source told reporters on the eve of the summit that the main topics on the Ukrainian file at the summit will be support for the energy sector in the winter, supplies of air defense systems, ammunition and missiles, training of Ukrainian forces, as well as “a just and lasting peace.”
When discussing events in the Middle East, European leaders intend to focus on Syria and establishing contacts between the EU and the new authorities.
The previous day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told members of the European Parliament that the EU must also review its categorical sanctions against Syria and provide full support to Syrian refugees in Europe who decide to return to their homeland.
The EU’s role in the world
The EU heads of state and government are also expected to hold a strategic discussion on the EU’s role in the world, strengthening its influence and protecting its interests on international platforms.
As European Council President Costa wrote in a letter of invitation to leaders attending the summit, the discussion will focus on three main areas: defining the EU’s capabilities on the world stage, strengthening influence and defending European positions, transatlantic relations in the world in the near future, as well as the EU’s relations with the United Kingdom.
A separate topic will be the discussion of increasing the preparedness of the Community countries for crises in the areas of climate, defense and security.
When discussing migration, summit participants will address issues of protecting the EU’s external borders and cooperation with migrant-sending countries.
The agenda also includes the situation in Georgia and Moldova and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s report on the six months of his country’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.
European leaders will begin arriving for the meeting on Thursday at 9:30 local time (11:30 Moscow time), with the summit scheduled to start at 10:30 (12:30 Moscow time).
