The foreign ministers of the European Union will meet this Monday in Brussels to analyze the adoption of new sanctions against Russia, review Ukraine’s financial needs through 2027, and move forward with a coordinated response to hybrid threats affecting Member States. The meeting will also take stock of the state of peace negotiations on Ukraine and of the role the EU must play in that process.
The Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), conceived on this occasion as primarily a forum for follow-up and political coordination—without major decisions in sight—will assess new restrictive measures against individuals and entities linked to the Russian banking and energy sectors, as well as against the so-called “shadow fleet” of Moscow.
These discussions take place in preparation for the EU’s 22nd package of sanctions against Russia, which aims to increase economic pressure on Moscow and reduce its capacity to finance the war in Ukraine, while talks continue to end the invasion launched in 2022.
At the same time, the ministers will address how to ensure economic support for Kyiv over the next year, although the meeting is not expected to end with a definitive agreement on the specific mechanism to cover its financing needs.
The Twenty-Seven agree on the importance of sustaining economic and military aid to Ukraine, especially with the arrival of winter and the continued Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure. However, discrepancies persist regarding the route for funding that support, according to several diplomatic sources.
Among the alternatives being studied is the use of Russian assets immobilized on European territory, a proposal that continues to generate reservations in some Member States, particularly Belgium, where Euroclear is headquartered, the entity in which Moscow’s 185 billion euros are deposited.
The Belgian government has been warning since last year about the legal and financial risks of using these funds and demands guarantees so as not to assume alone any possible consequences. Other countries are calling on the European Commission for a legally solid initiative that would make it possible to mobilize Russian assets and share risks among partners, although even this approach does not fully convince Belgium, according to the same sources that told Europa Press.
THE DEBATE ABOUT WHO REPRESENTS EUROPE REMAINS OPEN
Another issue, which although it is not formally on the agenda, is predictably going to make its way forward is that of European participation in the Ukraine peace negotiations, after the latest diplomatic contacts in Abu Dhabi, Moscow and Dublin and the discussion between leaders at the informal European Council held in the Irish capital.
There is agreement that the EU should have a voice in any agreement that affects the architecture of European security, but governments differ on who should exercise that representation and with what mandate.
The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, has argued that both she and the president of the European Council, António Costa, should represent the Union in these talks, while Germany and France lean toward maintaining a format that integrates the main European powers.
In this debate, Spain has shown itself willing to accept different formulas as long as they have the backing of the Twenty-Seven, an issue that ultimately will be in the hands of European leaders and on which no decisions are also expected this Monday, beyond what is addressed at the Dublin summit.
RESPONSE TO HYBRID THREATS
The ministers will also analyze how to strengthen the coordinated response to the hybrid threats suffered by the Union’s countries, an area that several partners want to push forward in this Monday’s EAC so that the Twenty-Seven will send a message of unity and a willingness to act collectively in the face of this type of attack.
The debate comes after the recent wave of bomb threats in several European states, especially in Italy, with numerous warnings against school centers, in addition to similar incidents that have affected airports and planes.
To these episodes are added the latest cyberattacks against cooling systems of European supermarkets, which have increased concern about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and the capacity for response of member states, as well as drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
Among the possible responses to these incidents are new sanctions, especially after France has pointed to a possible Iranian involvement in the cyberattacks, although not all partners consider that there is sufficient evidence to formally attribute to Tehran responsibility for these events.
Beyond the attribution, the Twenty-Seven will discuss how to strengthen the European mechanisms for prevention, coordination and response to these threats, which range from cyberattacks and sabotage to disinformation campaigns, with the intention of increasing the Union’s resilience and deterring future destabilization operations.
RELATIONS WITH SYRIA
In the bloc dedicated to the Middle East, the foreign ministers will debate European support for Syria’s political transition and economic recovery, as well as the options to deepen institutional relations with Damascus after the political changes recorded in the country.
Among the elements to be examined is the resumption of negotiations for an association agreement between the European Union and Syria, taking as its basis the text agreed in 2008, although its eventual conclusion will depend on progress in the political transition, respect for fundamental rights and guarantees of inclusion and accountability, according to European sources.
Monday’s meeting will be shorter than usual due to a subsequent ministerial meeting on connectivity and interregional security, with two sessions focused, respectively, on the links between the Black Sea, the South Caucasus and Central Asia and on cooperation to strengthen maritime security in the Black Sea.
In addition, on Tuesday a meeting of the defence ministers of the bloc will be held in Brussels, to which the Under Secretary of Defense of the United States, Elbridge Colby, has been invited, and which will focus on military support for Ukraine, transatlantic relations and the security challenges posed by China.