Zelensky plans to travel to Brussels this Thursday for the first EU Council after the donation of tanks

The President of the European Council, the Belgian Charles-Michelpersonally invited Volodimir Zelensky to the extraordinary meeting of the Heads of State and Government, this Thursday in Brussels. He did it during his last trip to kyiv, just a week ago, together with the president of the Commission, the German Ursula von der Leyen.

In fact, Zelensky already landed this Wednesday at Stansted airport, near Londonto pay his first visit to the UK since the start of his country’s war with Russia on February 24, 2022.

According to official sources, the Ukrainian leader will meet throughout the day with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunakbefore pronouncing a speech before the British Parliament and visit a military base in the north of England where the Ukrainian military is trained. The king Carlos III will also receive in audience to the president at Buckingham Palace in London.

As Spanish government sources have confirmed to this newspaper, everything is also planned in Brussels to have, for the first time, the presence of the Ukrainian president at a Council meeting. “I wouldn’t change anything,” these sources point out, “simply, although very important, the symbolism of unity between the EU and Ukraine“.

The reality is that, with just two weeks to go until one year has elapsed since the start of the invasion of your country, ordered by Vladimir PutinBrussels wants to demonstrate its commitment, speed up the talks and evaluations for the enlargement of the Union to Ukraine, and visualize with image politics all the support of the EU: the reception of refugees, economic support, military aid, political commitment …

First point

This is an extraordinary Council, and it is the first to be held since the European countries agreed to the “immediate” delivery of tanks to kyiv. After months of discussions, and the doubts of Germany, finally, in January the chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed to give the pertinent permission. His was the legal decision that the EU countries that have Leopard type tanks they could cede them or take them to fight in a third country, in this case Ukraine.

According to the sources consulted, that is the main reason why Zelenski would travel to Brussels. are yet to confirm security conditions to guarantee the trip. According to other experts, it is not only the secrecy evident in a war situation -and more so in the case of the symbolism that Zelensky represents for the Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression-, but also how guarantee the returnonce it can be seen (and located) on the ground of the European capital.

In fact, on this occasion, the Council’s usual agenda has been changed. For a year, all the meetings of the leaders of the Twenty-seven have the situation in Ukraine among the issues to be discussed. But this Thursday will be the first issue, to make things easier for the possible delegation of the Ukrainian president.

Pedro Sanchez and their European colleagues will essentially discuss the tenth package of sanctions against Russia, already underway from the Commission.

“Europe has been by Ukraine’s side since day one. Because we know that the future of our continent is written here. We know that you are fighting for more than yourself. What is at stake is freedom. This is a fight of democracies against authoritarian regimes“Von der Leyen said in kyiv a week ago, where he traveled with a large part of his team of commissioners to hold a government-to-government meeting.

Zelenski is expected to appreciate European support, both in economic and military assistance. But also that he claims the acceleration of the integration process of your country and reconstruction aid, even though the war is still going on and US intelligence services have already reported that a heavy Russian offensive is expected in the spring.

It is also taken for granted that the Ukrainian president claims more effectiveness and power in the sanctions against Vladimir Putin. “We are seeing that the pace of Europe’s sanctions has slowed slightly, while the terrorist state, on the contrary, is improving its adaptation to the sanctions,” Zelensky told Von der Leyen in kyiv last Friday.

Filed under European Council, European Union (EU), Russian-Ukrainian War, Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky