2023-06-28 23:31:36
The 27 EU heads of state and government, including Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), are concerned with supporting Ukraine in the face of the Russian war of aggression and illegal migration in Brussels on Thursday. In the run-up to the EU summit, the formulation of future security commitments by the European Union to Ukraine brought the neutrals into action. Austria, Ireland and Malta insist on their neutrality.
The neutrals therefore included a passage in the summit draft that emphasizes “complete respect for the security and defense policy of certain member states” – an indication of the status of the neutrals, according to EU Council circles. Cyprus also belongs to the EU but not to NATO, while all other EU member states also belong to the western defense alliance.
Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) declared on Wednesday in Parliament’s main EU committee that he had appealed for Austrian neutrality to be explicitly taken into account in the summit conclusions when it came to military decisions for Ukraine. According to the summit draft, the EU summit wants to reaffirm the EU’s willingness to “provide viable military aid to Ukraine for as long as it is necessary”.
The security commitments towards Kiev are not defined in more detail at this point in time. The draft summit declaration read: “The European Union and Member States stand ready to contribute, together with partners, to future security commitments to Ukraine that will help Ukraine defend itself in the long term, prevent acts of aggression and resist destabilization efforts .” The nature of these contributions should be checked quickly. According to reports, France has campaigned for such security promises.
Against the background of the Russian war of aggression, Ukraine is striving to join NATO. However, NATO does not want to invite Ukraine to join at its summit in Lithuania in July, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had hoped. Instead, a new NATO-Ukraine Council is to be set up, which is to meet for the first time in Vilnius with Selenksyj.
Even if not officially on the agenda, the EU summit is also likely to discuss the possible effects of the revolt by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia on Europe. Before the start of the summit (from 1 p.m.) there will be an exchange with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Intensive debates are expected on the subject of migration, because not everyone is satisfied with the breakthrough achieved in mid-June on central asylum issues. Poland and Hungary had already announced that they would neither take in those seeking protection nor make compensation payments. Nehammer urged that the most recent asylum agreement be implemented in practice, for example through agreements with North African countries on processing centers. On Friday we continue with the topics of economy and China.
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