EU leaders’ summit to start on Thursday

BRUSSELS

EU leaders will gather on Thursday for a two-day summit to discuss economic affairs and the bloc’s support for Ukraine.

The 27 EU heads of state and government will start with a working lunch together with UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres.

The leaders will assess important geopolitical developments, including Russia’s war on Ukraine, food security, the prospects of the recently extended Black Sea grain deal, and climate action.

EU leaders will discuss the recent developments and the EU’s response to the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also join the summit via a video link.

“We will, as always, reaffirm our unwavering commitment to assist Ukraine,” Charles Michel, the president of the European Council who chairs the meeting of EU leaders, wrote in his invitation letter.

The topics include “pursuing work on accountability, on the use of frozen Russian assets and rallying the global community behind the rules-based international order,” he further said.

The EU leaders are also expected to endorse the political agreement of EU foreign and defense ministers on providing 1 million rounds of 155 artillery shells to Ukraine within a year, an EU official told Brussels-based reporters.

However, EU member states have yet to work out the exact details of financing the ammunition supply to Ukraine, the source said.

The summit’s main focus will be on economic affairs, including plans to raise the bloc’s competitiveness, deepen the common market and support the green transition.

The EU heads of state and government will talk about trade policy and the possible reform of the energy market.

They will also touch upon the impact of the banking crisis in the US and Switzerland.

On Friday, the meetings will continue with the so-called Euro Summit to be also attended by President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde and the President of the Eurogroup Paschal Donohoe.