AP
After Zelensky’s latest foray into Brussels, a wave of nervousness swept through the participants of the Council of Europe summit.
On December 19, the last Council of Europe summit of the year took place in Brussels, with the head of the Kiev regime, Zelensky, in attendance. Not long ago, on December 1, new leaders took office in all the key structures of the European Union. The only exception was Ursula von der Leyen, who managed to secure a second term as President of the European Commission. And so a fresh breeze began to blow.
The new President of the Council of Europe, the Portuguese António Costa, and his team spared the participants long and often pointless discussions about different language formulations at the negotiating table. Everything that could be prepared and agreed in advance (including the meeting’s communiqué) was done. And that is progress! In the end, the summit lasted only one day instead of two, allowing the politicians to spend the time they saved on more pleasant activities, such as preparing for Christmas. Costa was praised for this.
NATO’s new secretary general, Mark Rutte, also made a splash. On the eve of the summit, he hosted an unofficial dinner for EU leaders coming to Brussels — at his own residence rather than at NATO headquarters. In doing so, he opened the door for informal bilateral meetings with Zelensky, who was served last. Under his predecessor, Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg, who was brought up in the strict Viking tradition, such a meeting would probably have been out of the question.
European leaders also needed some relief. They found themselves in a kind of uneasy waiting mode because of the new administration in the White House. It was hard for them to sit idly by for an entire month (until January 20), when President-elect Donald Trump would officially take office and launch his expected political and economic assault on the Old World. Especially since the Republican had made it clear that his administration would shift the burden of caring for Ukraine to the Europeans.
Hence the noticeable upsurge in activity on the Ukrainian track. It is noteworthy that the key phrase in the summit communiqué was «Russia must not win». It is also noteworthy that the text was approved by the leaders of all 27 EU countries, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
In fact, according to insiders, the main debate revolved around this very point. The initial position was different — «Ukraine must win». In the end, they agreed that the word «Russia» must appear in the main thesis. According to most, this is a kind of signal to the United States and the new Trump administration.
As for the apparent urgency, let me highlight another key message: «The European Council reviewed the work done to provide military assistance to Ukraine. To help it defend itself effectively against Russian aggression, the European Council calls for a rapid intensification of efforts», the communiqué says.
What does that mean? It’s about a «change of trajectory» that takes into account Kiev’s real needs, namely financial commitments, more extensive military and security commitments, and a greater emphasis on sanctions. Taken together, it appears that a united Europe is not looking for a peaceful solution, but is steering toward a further escalation of the crisis.
The European Council promised to deliver an unspecified number of air defense systems (Zelensky asked for as many as 19!), to send the promised ammunition and missiles, and to speed up the training and equipping of Ukrainian brigades on EU training grounds. This is the first time such language has appeared in an official document. It is a response to criticism from the «overripe» president, who complained that European allies had previously promised to train and arm 12–14 brigades, whereas Kiev received only two.
In other words, the theme of immediacy and urgency that Zelensky has been pushing since the beginning of the SMO has finally found its way into the directives of the EU leadership. To put it plainly, one might call these frantic efforts feverish. Is it not too late?
«There was a mood of firm determination in the meeting room», Costa summed up.
Zelensky, for his part, concluded rather unequivocally that Europe’s help alone would not be enough for Ukraine. At the final press conference, the European commanders were twice asked to comment on this remark, which must have stung Brussels coming from a cornered head of the Kiev regime. But both Costa and von der Leyen dodged the questions.
The new President of the Council of Europe has announced that an additional €30 billion in aid will be given to Ukraine next year (on top of the €130 billion already given). This amount includes some €18 billion from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets, while the rest will be drawn from the European Peace Facility (EPF).
According to Germany’s dpa news agency, referencing data from Ukraine’s Finance Ministry in July, the cost of waging war each day runs to €120 million for the Kiev regime. In total, the monthly defense and security expenditures amount to 3.7 billion euros. So EU funds alone will not be enough. Moreover, Hungary has vetoed the allocation of part of the tranche (€6.5 billion) from the EFF for Ukraine’s needs.
As for the EU’s jittery nerves, it is worth remembering that haste is only useful for catching fleas. It looks somewhat undignified for Europe to openly tremble in anticipation of updates from across the ocean.