Once again after three years of war, Volodimir Zelenski has arrived in Brussels wrapped by the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, and with the support of the vast majority of leaders of the 27, except for the Hungarian ultra -right Viktor Orbán. That has not changed, but the international context has done with the victory of Donald Trump, who has hit the geopolitical board by aligning with Vladimir Putin for peace negotiations that leave kyiv already the EU on the sidelines. A week after being humiliated at the White House, Zelenski has thanked the support to the European Union before a meeting of the heads of government in which they will discuss the increase in military spending.
“Thank you for this strong support signal from the beginning of the war and throughout this period. Last week you were with us, ”said Zelenski upon arrival in Brussels along with Von der Leyen and Costa in statements in which he has not expressly mentioned to the US, but Trump’s elongated shadow is very present. “We are not alone and this is not just words, we feel it,” added the Ukrainian President, who has assured that it is a “strong sign” for the Ukrainian people.
Both von der Leyen and Costa have given him the support of the EU, although the Portuguese has been more explicit in the delicate situation that Zelenski faces for Trump’s pulse. “We are here to help Ukraine for a complete and lasting peace. We are with you, we continue with you now and we will continue in the future, ”said the president of the European Council, who has assured that it will be up to him to determine“ the moment ”for the peace negotiations.
The leaders who have been going before the cameras before the meeting in which they will analyze the ‘Rearme Plan’ that Von der Leyen has also expressed their strong support for Ukraine. However, Orbán arrives in emboldened Brussels and willing to block the conclusions of the European Council on War by considering that the solution is what Washington poses. The ultra -rightist leader has always been a stone in the EU shoe for support for Ukraine and has blocked most support measures.
On this occasion, the exit that EU leaders see is that if you veto the conclusions, a statement is made to 26 (or even 25 if the Slovak populist Robert Fico followed him) with a harder language regarding the situation that Ukraine is going through.
“There are countries both inside and outside Europe, which what they are looking for is a divided Europe, they do not want to unite,” said Pedro Sánchez upon arrival at the meeting in which they will address how to help Ukraine and the increase in defense spending. Sánchez has insisted that it is soon to talk about security guarantees for that country once the war ends and that countries like France or the United Kingdom are committed to being the sending of European troops in a peace mission. The Spanish has assured that it is in “very premature stages to know exactly what the participation of Europe in La Paz.”
Despite the support expressed by EU leaders, the one who is living in their flesh the difficulties is the high representative, Kaja Kallas, who sees how they have given a door to send another 20,000 million euros extra to Ukraine. Even so, Estonia has tried to reduce importance, as has done with the blockade of Hungary by pointing to the “coalition of will” so that “a country cannot block everyone else.”
Source: www.eldiario.es
