EU is preparing for its summit "five minutes to midnight": Politico learned the agenda and about the opposition of Hungary on Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
27 EU leaders will gather in Brussels to discuss a new security architecture and military support. On the agenda is the allocation of 800 billion euros for defense and the issue of using frozen Russian assets.
At the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, March 6, convened to discuss the defense of Europe and Ukraine, the agenda includes defense spending, the issue of using frozen Russian assets, and possibly considering a new package of sanctions against Russia, but against the backdrop of Hungary's opposition, a "battle over sending greater military support to Ukraine is brewing again," Politico reports, citing sources, writes UNN.
Details
"When the 27 EU leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday, they know that the entire security architecture since 1945, which depends on the support of the United States, could collapse any day now," the publication notes.
After Donald Trump's return to the White House, leaders spoke a lot about sovereignty and defense. Officials from European governments told Politico that they recognize that the time has come to turn words into action, however, the publication writes, "some already fear that everything could go horribly wrong."
While French President Emmanuel Macron spoke of the need for an "incredible awakening," and future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz described Europe as being "five minutes to midnight," those close to the discussions reportedly "are concerned that events are happening faster than they can handle."
"The nightmare scenario is that the U.S. soon announces a deal that accepts most of Russia's demands, and then tells Ukraine and Europe to take it or leave it," said Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute in London.
And they are afraid not only of the United States. They are also wary of some within their own ranks. "While the hastily organized summit on Thursday, just days after less formal meetings in Paris and London, signals an intention to find solutions, diplomats are already preparing for the pro-Russian group of leaders led by Viktor Orban from Hungary to derail the whole thing," the publication notes.
"The number of topics being discussed and the ominous lack of unity mean that this summit could shoot off in several different directions. Leaders will reflect on how they can quickly redirect resources to strengthen national armies, while at the same time they will try to demonstrate support for Ukraine, for example, by confirming its path to EU membership. They will also try to emphasize their aversion to Vladimir Putin's regime, including possibly committing to a new round of sanctions," the publication states.
"Europe is facing a clear and real danger on a scale that none of us have seen in our adult lives," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote to EU leaders on Tuesday. "The future of a free and sovereign Ukraine - in a safe and prosperous Europe - is at stake."
More than three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and just six weeks after Trump became president, the summit on Thursday "will conclude a week of history-defining moments across the Atlantic," the publication recalls Trump's decision to halt military aid to Ukraine, although it notes that "Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer brought a bit of positivity."
What will be discussed at the summit
Funding for military operations has traditionally not been a problem for the EU, but leaders will discuss how this can be done at a central level.
"Defense spending is becoming a fixed expense," said a European diplomat. "We turned off the sun, and now we need to pay for heating every day... Every day we need to pay for ammunition, at least for a few years until Trump leaves."
One of the first issues leaders will consider, as indicated, will be the plan announced on Tuesday by von der Leyen to allocate up to 800 billion euros in additional defense spending in the coming years.
"Although this was planned some time ago, her press release on Tuesday was intended as a response to the U.S. decision to halt aid to Ukraine," two EU officials stated.
The European Investment Bank also announced that it is proposing to change its rules to simplify the financing of defense projects.
Diplomats and EU officials are still studying the details of the proposals, but overall it has been described as a first step in the right direction.
"Von der Leyen is trying to take the bull by the horns," said a French minister. "But will a technocratic structure of the EU follow him?"
Leaders are also expected to discuss how to use Russian assets frozen since the start of the war in Ukraine. While the interest earned from the 200 billion euros in assets is already being used to fund aid, countries including France are "warming up" to the more controversial idea of seizing the assets themselves, although opponents of the plan say it is fraught with legal obstacles and the potential to cause financial instability.
Hungary's opposition
At the same time, the publication notes that "a battle over sending greater military support to Ukraine is already brewing." It points out that officials expected the summit statement to include the plan announced last month by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to send at least 1.5 million artillery shells to Ukraine this year, as well as other equipment such as air defense systems, missiles, and drones.
"Although the final statement will not appear until the end of the summit, the latest draft circulated on Tuesday evening, which Politico has seen, calls on ministers to find a way to ensure the continuation of arms supplies. Officials stated that Hungary refuses to agree to this," the article states.
The draft text emphasizes that the EU "will continue to provide Ukraine with regular and predictable financial support."
In 2025, it will provide Ukraine with 30.6 billion euros, with payments from the EU's mechanism to support Kyiv, the Ukraine Facility, expected to reach 12.5 billion euros, and payments of about 18 billion euros from G7 loans under the so-called "Era initiative." In the future, funds are likely to come from the Rearm Europe plan - an initiative by von der Leyen announced on Tuesday.
