European Union member governments and heads of state did not approve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for “urgently joining the EU with an accelerated procedure” after the invasion of Russia. Indicating that there is no such process as “accelerated candidacy” in EU legislation, the leaders demanded that “close relations be established instead of candidacy”.
The governments and heads of state of the 27 EU member states gathered at the historic Palace of Versailles near Paris, the capital of France, for a 2-day summit to discuss the Ukraine crisis. In the first session of the summit hosted by the EU Presidency, France, the leaders discussed how they should respond to the Russian attack, which changed all the balances in geopolitics, energy, economy and diplomacy in Europe.
In the first session of the summit, the application of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova for “rapid candidacy” to the EU, for fear of Russia, was discussed. After the first session, which lasted about 3 hours, the leaders continued their discussion at the dinner held in the famous “Mirror Gallery” of the Palace of Versailles.
Welcoming his guests before the summit at the entrance of the Versailles Palace, French President Emmanuel Macron said, “I am worried and pessimistic about the diplomatic solution of the Ukraine crisis. Europe has changed in the face of the pandemic, it will change more and faster under the war blow.” Macron said that the summit held in Versailles will be a summit that will completely redefine European architecture, especially in the field of energy and defense, where “historical decisions” will be made.
Regarding Ukraine’s application for “rapid membership” to the EU, Macron said, “Can we start an accession procedure with a country at war now? I don’t think so. But we shouldn’t close the door and say ‘never’? That would be unfair.”
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte reminded that there is “not a quick procedure” in the mechanism of the union regarding EU membership, and said, “Ukraine’s accession to the EU, if it will be, is a long-term issue. Regardless of the possibility of membership application, we support Ukraine and we have an intense effort. We will confirm that we want to work together in this way.”
“We cannot give the Ukrainians the impression that everything can happen overnight,” warned Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “We will discuss Ukraine as a member of our European family. We want a free and democratic Ukraine with which we share a common destiny.”
European defense
EU leaders will not make a clear decision at the Paris meeting, which is planned before the summit to be held on 24-25 March, but will determine the political axis that will guide the coming period. In the draft of the final statement to be published after the summit, the importance of “NATO’s key role” in European defense was emphasized, and the leaders said that “more and better investments should be made in the military field”. It is envisaged that this issue will be discussed again at the 24-25 March summit.
dependence on Russian gas
At the Versailles summit, the project called “REPowerEU”, prepared by the EU Commission and aiming to end energy dependence on Russia, was also on the agenda. The leaders examined “a plan to reduce the dependence on Russian gas by 2/3, diversify suppliers and reduce imports of coal and oil from Russia by developing alternative energies such as renewable energies”.
The leaders will also discuss the issue of imposing an oil embargo on Russia during the two-day summit. Expressing that “Europe’s dependence on Russian gas is a security vulnerability,” Macron said at the entrance of the meeting, “Other suppliers and systems must be found quickly in the short term.” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that “the EU must stop using fossil fuels from Russia by 2027”.
At the summit, policies regarding “strengthening gas stocks”, which Spain insistently brought to the agenda, and “optimization of the functioning of the electricity market”, which Spain and France also advocate, and new emergency measures aimed at mitigating the impact of rising energy prices for European consumers will also be discussed.