The second day of the summit will focus on increasing the EU’s strategic and energy self-sufficiency and financing it. will follow the summit in this article.
11.3. 12:16 • Updated March 11. 12:21
EU leaders continue today at their informal summit in Versailles, France.
The main topic of discussion is Russia’s attack on Ukraine. In particular, leaders will discuss how the EU can respond to the costs of the war. They are generated by increasing defense spending and reducing energy dependence on Russia, ie in practice, for example, investing in a green transition and finding new energy suppliers.
Prime minister Sanna Marin (sd.) said when asked before the meeting that Finland has reservations about measures such as price regulation to respond to the European energy crisis.
– Finland has emphasized such instruments that help the member states themselves to make these investments, this transition. We are much more cautious about common openings when it comes to energy, Marin says.
Marin says the EU must get rid of its dependence on Russian oil as soon as possible.
– It is a very difficult situation that we have these very tough economic sanctions on the one hand, and on the other hand we are financing the Russian war by buying oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels from Russia.
Marin: Statement on Ukraine’s relations with the EU balanced
The first day of the meeting was packaged in the morning after the leaders had discussed, among other things, Ukraine’s application for EU membership.
The result was a statement that the EU was deepening its partnership with Ukraine. Ukraine’s dreams of an accelerated processing of its application were therefore not realized.
Marin describes the statement as a balanced whole.
– At the same time, it sends a message of hope to Ukraine that they have a future as part of Europe, working more closely with the rest of us. At the same time, there is a realism about what this path to EU membership can be.