12/10/2023 9:52 pm (current 12/10/2023 9:52 pm)
Ukraine and the Middle East are key issues in Brussels ©APA/BELGA
EU foreign ministers meet this Monday in Brussels for the last ordinary meeting of this year. The agenda includes discussions on the conflict in the Middle East and continued support for Ukraine in the war against Russia. Discussions are also planned on the latest developments in Sahel countries such as Niger.
The West African state, ruled by a military junta, recently asked the EU to withdraw personnel who were there to support the fight against terrorism and illegal migration.
Talks on the Middle East conflict will, among other things, address the question of whether EU entry bans should be imposed on extremist Israeli settlers. The US recently announced this measure in response to an alarming increase in violence in the West Bank.
At the same time, it is being examined whether punitive measures against the Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas can be further strengthened. On Friday, the EU had already placed the commander of Hamas' armed wing, Mohammed Deif, and his deputy, Marwan Issa, on its terrorist list. Both are considered the planners of the unprecedented massacre in Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of around 240 people to the Gaza Strip.
As far as Ukraine is concerned, one of the current issues is how additional military aid should be financed. A proposal by the Foreign Affairs Representative, Josep Borrell, to make an amount of 20 billion euros available by the end of 2027 does not currently seem viable. The Spaniard therefore asks that at least five billion euros be promised for next year.