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Zelensky signed three security pacts during the EU summit

2024-06-27 20:46:47, Kosova & Bota CNA

Zelensky signed three security pacts during the EU summit

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, and the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during the signing ceremony of the agreement in the field of security. Source, AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed security agreements with the European Union, Estonia and Lithuania at the start of the bloc's two-day summit in Brussels.

The security agreement with the EU reinforces the bloc's support for Kyiv in nine areas of security and defense policy.

In the draft of the agreement, which Radio Free Europe has seen, it is said that the EU condemns Russia's war against Ukraine and expresses support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the right of Kiev to defend itself from aggression. Russian.

The draft also states that the EU supports Ukraine's reforms and the path to accession to the bloc, adding that EU aid to Ukraine is almost 100 billion euros, including 35 billion euros in military support.

"Russia must not triumph" in the war against Ukraine that it started in February 2022, the draft says, adding that Ukraine must recover the territory annexed by Moscow. It also lists a series of commitments for the provision of military equipment, for the provision of military training and cooperation between the defense industry of Ukraine and the EU.

The agreements Zelensky signed with Lithuania and Estonia during the EU summit are intended to complement other similar agreements Ukraine has reached with allies. They are not mutual defense pacts, but they include pledges to provide Ukraine with arms and other aid and to prevent any future invasions.

The ceremony of signing these agreements also opened the meeting of the European Council, where the leaders of the 27 EU countries participate, who hold the first official meeting since the European elections of June 6-9.

In addition to defense issues, the main topics of the summit will be the distribution of key leadership positions in the bloc's institutions and the strategic agenda for the next five years, as well as Ukraine and the Middle East.

The leaders of the member states must appoint the president of the European Commission and the high representative for foreign policy and security.

Since it is a package, they must also agree on the name of the next president of the European Council, whose appointment is the responsibility of the heads of state or government of the member states, as well as the president of the European Parliament, who is elected by the MEPs.

Negotiators from three political groups, the European People's Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the Liberals (Renew), reached an agreement on top positions in the bloc.

They agreed that Ursula von der Leyen should get a second term at the head of the European Commission.

The president of the European Council, as agreed, should be former left-wing Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of Renew should replace Spaniard Josep Borrell in the bloc's foreign policy leadership, while the president of The Maltese Roberta Metsola should remain in the European Parliament for the next two years.

According to the agencies, the chief negotiators from the three main parliamentary groups – the Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk and the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotais from the EPP; the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez from the S&D; and the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte of Rene—discussed the deal for three hours, excluding other leaders in the discussions.

Ursula von der Leyen's appointment seems certain after this deal, but it is less certain that she will get a large majority (361 votes) in the European Parliament, even though these parties have a majority of 399 MEPs, because they do not always vote as the majority in their parliamentary groups vote.

On Tuesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban strongly criticized the EPP's "deal with the left and liberals", saying it is "against everything the EU is based on".

"Instead of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division. The highest officials in the EU should represent all member states, not just leftists and liberals," said Orban, whose country will take over the EU presidency on July 1.

The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, assessed on Wednesday that the agreement of the six European leaders on the distribution of key posts does not respect the will of the citizens expressed in the European elections.

At the two-day summit, EU leaders are also due to approve a strategic program that sets out the guidelines for EU action in the next five years.

The summit began Thursday afternoon with a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country officially opened accession negotiations on Tuesday.

At the summit, leaders should welcome the adoption of negotiating frameworks for Ukraine and Moldova, as well as common positions on chapters on justice and fundamental rights for Montenegro, which should allow it to speed up negotiations.

"The summit will be an opportunity to welcome the adoption of the negotiation frameworks and the holding of intergovernmental conferences with Ukraine, Moldova and Montenegro," said European Council President Charles Michel in the letter of invitation for the summit, adding that these are "historic steps in support of the path of these countries towards European membership".

It is also imperative that we increase military support for Ukraine and continue to garner broad international support for a just peace in Ukraine based on the UN Charter, he added.

When it comes to the Middle East, EU leaders at the summit are expected to call for respect for international humanitarian law, the implementation of the cease-fire proposal included in the UN Security Council resolution, and repeat the call for a cease-fire in Gaza. , the release of all hostages and the request for the increase of humanitarian aid./ REL