EU must fulfill its commitments to Ukraine, European Council President says

In an invitation letter to the EU leaders for the December 14-15 summit, European Council President Charles Michel called for the European Union to fulfill its obligations to Ukraine and remain a reliable and strong partner. 

“We need to live up to our commitments on Ukraine and continue to be a reliable and strong partner. We must provide Ukraine with continued and sustainable political, financial and military support and, in particular, come to an agreement on providing EUR 50 BN for its long term stability. We also have to agree to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, thereby giving it a necessary signal and bringing it yet closer to our European family,” Michel wrote.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine became a pivotal moment in the history of Europe. Since February 24, 2022, the EU has made several unprecedented decisions to support Ukraine and simultaneously strengthen the sovereignty of Europe, the European Council President emphasized.

“Twenty-one months on, we are faced once again with the need to take bold decisions. They require our collective strength and determination, and the audacity to make the right choices,” Michel wrote.

During the summit in Brussels, EU leaders are anticipated to make “significant decisions for other aspiring members while, in parallel, working to make our Union fit for the future and ready to take on new members.”

“New challenges bring new obligations. The revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework has proceeded intensively and unabatedly. I have taken good note of all your concerns and priorities and have put forward a proposal that seeks to reconcile the differing positions around the table. As with any compromise solution, I appeal to your readiness to build compromise for the sake of unity. Achieving consensus will indeed require a decisive joint effort and strong political commitment from you all,” Michel wrote.

Now is the time for decision-making, the European Council President emphasized. “I call on you all to come equipped with a spirit of compromise, a sense of collective responsibility, with the Union’s interests and values at the forefront of your minds,” said Michel.

During the EU summit in Brussels on December 14-15, discussions will focus on the potential commencement of talks regarding Ukraine’s EU membership. Presently, there is significant opposition from Hungary towards endorsing Kyiv’s entry into the Union.