On his second trip abroad since the beginning of the war, the Ukrainian President also came to Brussels. The message of the visit: We stand together against the Russian aggressor. From Brussels Bernd Riegert.
Coveted guest of honor: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyj is coming to Brussels
After a visit to the UK and an evening meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Brussels on Thursday. There he will speak in front of the European Parliament and will be a guest at the EU summit of the 27 heads of government.
In the hours before Zelenskyj's arrival, there was great excitement in the relevant protocol department of the European Council. The visit of the President, who is leaving his beleaguered country for the second time since the beginning of the war on February 24, 2022, made the highest logistical and security demands. After all, shortly after the beginning of the war, the Russian leadership had named the elimination of Zelenskyj as one of their war goals. The president is guarded by dozens of security guards. His itinerary, the schedules of his visits, the place of lodging were kept strictly confidential.
Blue and yellow rule the scene at the meeting with EU leaders in Kyiv. The two colors stand for both Europe and Ukraine.
First USA, then Europe
Volodymyr Zelenskyj made a surprise trip to Washington shortly before Christmas, where he spoke before Congress and with US President Joe Biden. This was the first time he had left his country since the beginning of the war. At the time, it was clear that the United States would be credited as the biggest supporter and donor to Ukraine's fight against Russian attacks. With the European tour, the Ukrainian President is now showing the Europeans his solidarity and gratitude for arms deliveries, humanitarian aid, taking in refugees and the promise to start negotiations with Ukraine on accession to the European Union. So far, Selenskyj has only been connected via video to every EU summit since February 2022. This time it is probably primarily a symbolic visit to the EU grandees in Brussels. Concrete decisions are not expected. The EU will again pledge any support to Ukraine against Russia as long as it is needed.
A pilot's helmet as a wish list: Ukraine demands fighter planes in Great Britain
The next target is jets
After Germany, after long hesitation, wanted to enable the delivery of Leopard 1 and 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine by the end of the year, a new discussion is now beginning. It's about fighter jets from NATO countries. In the UK, Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on his Western partners to deliver modern jets to Ukraine. The British government confirmed that Ukrainian pilots are already being trained in Britain. Zelenskyi presented the Speaker of the British House of Commons with a pilot's helmet with the inscription “We have freedom. Give us wings to defend it.” That's why he's asking for planes, the President said. At the EU summit, too, the Ukrainian head of state, who always appears in a simple olive-colored sweater, will ask for more weapons and quick accession to the EU.
Last Friday, senior representatives of the EU Commission traveled to Kyiv for formal talks on accession negotiations. Concrete commitments or schedules were not agreed. Ukraine must first meet a number of conditions, especially in the fight against corruption, the EU said. Last spring, the country received the status of “accession candidate” together with the Republic of Moldova in unprecedented emergency proceedings. Only a few EU diplomats in Brussels can imagine actually joining the Union as long as Ukraine is under attack and parts of the country are occupied or even annexed by Russia. However, there is a role model: The Mediterranean island of Cyprus joined in 2004, although the north of the country is still occupied by Turkish troops in violation of international law.
Love at war, wedding at the front
EU wants to increase pressure on Russia
At the summit with the Ukrainian President, EU leaders will pledge that they will do everything possible to use confiscated assets from the Russian state bank to help rebuild Ukraine. Some EU countries still have legal concerns. The EU wants to work to set up a special office at the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate Russian war criminals. The European Union plans to launch a tenth package of sanctions against Russia in two weeks before the anniversary of the start of the war. Existing sanctions are to be tightened up and better enforced.
No longer hiding: Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz now wants to wear battle tanks give Ukraine
According to the Green MEP Rasmus Andresen, for Chancellor Olaf Scholz, this EU summit is about rebuilding lost trust. Andresen, whose party is the federal government in a “traffic light coalition” with Social Democrats and Liberals in Berlin, said in Brussels that now that Germany is finally delivering tanks, Chancellor Scholz must mature into a European leader. “He doesn't live up to the high expectations he has of the Federal Republic. He has to move from being a brakeman to a bridge builder.”
Migration policy in the second row
Compared to Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Brussels, other issues that were originally intended to be dealt with at this informal special meeting, such as the EU's common migration policy, are taking a back seat. For years, the member states have not been able to agree on new asylum rules, a solidarity distribution of refugees or faster repatriation of rejected asylum seekers. In view of the growing numbers of migrants from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries in the Middle East, the heads of state and government want to bring new impetus to the debate.
According to the pre-formulated summit documents, which DW was able to see, the debate focuses on better protection of the external borders, i.e. turning away irregular people entering the country. In addition, better cooperation with the countries of origin in the return of rejected asylum seekers should be enforced. The EU Commission recommends using all instruments such as development funds, trade agreements or visa agreements as leverage. “We don't believe in leveraging development aid or trade policy,” commented the German Minister of State in the Foreign Office, Anna Lührmann, on this proposal in preparation for the summit meeting on Tuesday. In the run-up to the summit, Austria and other countries had requested EU funds to build more fences at the external borders. The summit will probably not decide that, also because of resistance from Germany. Only the equipment of border posts and surveillance technology at the borders is to be co-financed with EU money as before.
In Germany, many cities and municipalities are now complaining that they are not able to cope with the growing number of migrants together with refugees from Ukraine can accommodate more properly. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser wants to hold a second migration summit in Germany later this month and refers to the efforts of the EU to reform migration policy.