Joe Biden thanked Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo upon arrival in Brussels for Belgium’s support of EU sanctions on Russia and for coordinating the delivery of security assistance to Ukraine. “Biden will announce new sanctions against Russian politicians, oligarchs and organizations.” That said the American security chief Jake Sullivan. Meanwhile, Britain will deliver another 6,000 missiles to Ukraine, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced. “Britain will work with (its) allies to increase military and economic support to Ukraine,” Johnson told NATO and G7 summits in Brussels, a month after the start of the Russian invasion. The Prime Minister also announced aid of around 30 million euros for the Ukrainian army
Biden pushes for energy sanctions, the divided EU. Born: “New Troops in the East” The US and Europe are joining forces to step up pressure on Russia and are doing so through an extraordinary test of unity with a series of summits spanning the spectrum of cooperation: NATO, G7 and European Council. Joe Biden, who arrived in Brussels late in the evening, will become the first American president to attend the Conclave of 27 in person. There’s plenty of meat in the fire and it’s no secret that Biden will seek to lash out at European allies on some hotbutton issues, including Europe’s dependence on Moscow’s hydrocarbons the embargo on Russian oil remains on the table and greater military aid to Ukraine. However, there is no shortage of disagreements. The goal is therefore to find the synthesis and start anew stronger. “It is important for the President to observe with his own eyes the different sensitivities of the EU member states,” notes a European source. Indeed, the question of energy to which the second day of the summit will be devoted, together with the question of security and defense with the adoption of the strategic compass shows the perplexity of some allies. Instead of adopting new sanctions Germany was clear on this point: too much pressure would plunge the EU into recession what has already been decided should be reviewed to ensure that there are no “loopholes”. and that “ThirdParty Countries” do not provide a way to circumvent the measures taken.
The situation remains fluid. The Kremlin has decreed that from now on gas supplies will be paid for in rubles, and leaders will discuss how to respond. Biden also left Washington with a warning that Russia’s use of chemical weapons in the Ukrainian theater of war was a “real threat.” A judgment shared and reissued by the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg. “This would change the nature of the conflict and have serious consequences,” Stoltenberg emphasized, and then, in his own way, anticipated the essence of tomorrow’s summit. in summary. The Ukraine crisis is the Alliance’s greatest challenge since the end of World War II and therefore requires a “fresh start” that provides longterm answers. Meanwhile, NATO will continue to strengthen on the eastern flank with four new combat formations: in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. He also assured that the alliance is ready to help Ukraine more, including from a military point of view, and will provide equipment to deal with “chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear” threats. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on NATO to do more and also supply his country with “offensive weapons” such as intermediaterange missiles.
We will see. London agrees and will plead his case. However, Stoltenberg made it clear that “a direct confrontation” with Russia must be avoided, as this would entail new “death and destruction”. In any case, Zelenskyy himself will address the 27 via videoconference tomorrow, perhaps with a round of “reactions.” Brussels strives to offer practical solutions. For example the Solidarity Fund, which is also open to other partners. “Now the salaries have to be paid, after that it has to be rebuilt,” explains another EU source. Others speak of an annual, renewable agreement to share satellite information. Then there is the path of accession to the European Union decided at Versailles. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will anticipate some of the details of the opinion that the EU executive must issue before it can (difficult) really open the game. The final aspect, not a secondary one, is the relationship with China. A BrusselsBeijing summit is scheduled for April 1. The US wants to ensure that both sides of the Atlantic “speak with one voice”. The dragon, according to Washington, is ready to offer Putin “material help” in the Ukraine conflict. An assessment that is not shared in Brussels. In short, there is no lack of points of friction to be resolved (both between Europeans and between the EU and the US).