EU leaders delay decisions on Ukraine funding, budget and migration at Brussels summit
After two days of tense talks, leaders agreed little of substance, Politico reported, and Ukraine's funding needs for next year remain unresolved.
EU leaders ended a two-day summit in Brussels without major decisions on Ukraine's financial needs, the bloc's long-term budget or migration, according to Politico, the only source for this report.
Politico reported that leaders clashed over climate rules, migration and Ukraine at Thursday and Friday's European Council meeting, but put off key decisions. With elections looming in Spain and France and positions more entrenched than ever, nothing of substance was agreed, the outlet said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Brussels and asked for more money. He warned that without a financial plan, Europe could face a migration crisis with "20 million Ukrainians" fleeing.
“The war will cost €155 billion next year. This is a realistic amount. And I ask you to find this support. It will help us hold Russia back.”Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine (partial quote)
He said Ukraine needed at least €70 billion more from the EU. European Council President António Costa said leaders "didn't spend a lot of time" on a plan for 2027 and had asked the European Commission for a concrete proposal. Leaders did not endorse any specific option at the end of the summit, Politico reported.
Several countries had asked to revisit using some €300 billion in frozen Russian assets, an idea rejected nearly a year ago amid objections from Belgium, France and Italy. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said afterwards that "nothing has changed" and that, in the short term, money for Ukraine "must come from other sources than the frozen assets."
Two EU diplomats told Politico that other options were being explored, including funds from Ukraine's non-EU allies, untapped EU funds and another joint EU loan on top of the €90 billion loan agreed last year.
Talks on the EU's nearly €2 trillion long-term budget also stalled. French President Emmanuel Macron, who leaves office next year, warned he would lose his political mandate to sign a deal if none is reached by the end of this year. The frugal camp led by Germany and the "Friends of Cohesion" group made no substantial move toward each other, Politico reported. Macron said a decision was still possible by the end of the year.
A push by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to water down the ETS2 emissions trading scheme was defeated. On migration, Denmark, Italy and Poland proposed wording linking irregular migration to crime rates. Around 10 countries backed it, two diplomats told Politico, but the paragraphs were deleted from the final conclusions. Macron called the debate "highly politicized."
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the Commission would present an emergency response framework for sudden mass migration before the end of the year.
What remains unknown is how Ukraine's funding gap will be covered, what the Commission will propose and when, and whether a budget deal can be reached this year.
