On Thursday, heads of state and government from across Europe gathered in Granada, Spain, for a meeting of the European Political Community (EPG) with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian head of state emphasized that the biggest challenge is the unity of Europe vis-à-vis Ukraine. Ukraine needs a military ‘defense shield’ before the winter because it expects Russian attacks with missiles and Iranian drones.
Zelensky also admitted that US aid to Ukraine had become difficult in the run-up to the elections there. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it was “certainly not good news” that the US had not included aid to Ukraine in its interim budget. But he hopes this is not the final position of the United States. Europe increases aid to Ukraine, but cannot replace the US. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is working on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine. For Ukraine, “predictability and reliability are very important.” She is also confident of further support from the US.
Von der Leyen promises support for Armenia
Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Von der Leyen assured Armenia of the EU’s full support. She will meet Armenian government leader Nikol Pashinyan in Granada for bilateral talks to announce a doubling of EU aid to around ten million euros. However, mediation talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Pashinyan are unlikely to take place as the EU hopes. Aliyev will not come to the meeting this Thursday due to the “anti-Azerbaijani sentiment” of the other summit participants, the Azerbaijani news agency APA reported on Wednesday, according to dpa.
“Granada is today the capital of Europe and of peace”
“We are proud to have President Zelensky among us,” Spanish Prime Minister and current EU Council President Pedro Sánchez said before the meeting. He will also meet Zelensky in Granada for bilateral talks, as Europe “stands ready to support our friends in Ukraine until the end of the war.” ‘Granada is today the capital of Europe and of peace.’ He pointed to the debates, which Europe must now take the lead in continuing to support Ukraine. This includes the increase in the multi-annual EU budget that the European Commission is aiming for. Austria is skeptical about this.
Enlargement will be the focus of Friday’s informal European Council. Sánchez emphasized that some countries have been waiting at the EU’s door for a long time. The European Council will be the starting point for institutional reforms that will make the Union of 27 countries ready for 35, the Spanish head of government continued. All EU countries are fundamentally in favor of this direction.
Nehammer wasn’t there
Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) had to cancel his participation at short notice due to illness. About 45 heads of state and government and the heads of the EU institutions are in Granada on Thursday. The meeting takes place ahead of Friday’s informal European Council. There are currently no plans for joint political decisions by the European Political Community. This had not happened at the last meetings in this format either. After a joint plenary session, participants will divide into workshop-style meetings to discuss ways to strengthen security, stability and prosperity in Europe. According to the Spanish presidency, the aim is to make Europe “more resilient, more prosperous and more geostrategic”.
The design of the European Political Community goes back to an idea of French President Emmanuel Macron. The founding summit took place against the backdrop of the Russian attack on Ukraine in October 2022 in Prague, with 44 states at the time. Apart from a few small and city states, Russia and Belarus are the only states on the European continent not invited.
The pressure on Europe is increasing
ÖVP MEP Lukas Mandl said: “The pressure, which can often be traced back to Putin’s Russia, is growing in Europe. This recently became clear between Armenia and Azerbaijan and also between Kosovo and Serbia.” The EPG offers an opportunity to find solutions here. Mandl called for observer status for the freedom movement in Belarus and for a parliamentary dimension.
Reforms needed in the EU
SPÖ delegation leader Andreas Schieder hopes that the two-day deliberations will yield concrete commitments for reforms: “Given current challenges – climate, migration, digitalization – and also to be better prepared for unforeseen crises such as pandemics and wars in For the future, the EU has now set the course for fundamental reforms. Important decisions should no longer be postponed by individual national egos. We are currently seeing where this leads in the Ukraine crisis,” Schieder said.
Green delegation leader Monika Vana called on the summit to focus strategic considerations on European values and human rights, especially in the areas of asylum and migration policies and common security and defense. What is needed is a united European Union with a strong EU budget, but also with urgent reforms.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
