During the summit on October 17-18 in Brussels, the European Union plans to express strong support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, and will also offer Moldova assistance on its path to EU membership.
This was reported by Radio Liberty, which received access to the draft joint EU statement, information about which was distributed on the Voice of America portal.
Draft EU statement on Ukraine
The draft statement, which may be subject to future changes, includes a clause on “unwavering commitment” to support Ukraine, with the caveat that this will continue “for as long as necessary and as intensively as necessary.” The draft, as Radio Liberty writes, adds words about the fact that “Russia should not win”.
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The document also states that “no initiative on Ukraine can be carried out without Ukraine”, meaning initiatives to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The draft also calls for “a rapid increase” in military support for Ukraine, as well as for accelerating its deliveries. It is noted that the advantage in deliveries should be attributed to air defense systems, ammunition and missiles.
The EU separately welcomes the G7's commitment to $50 billion in aid for Ukraine, due by the end of 2024, which will be obtained through the use of revenues from frozen Russian assets, the document says.
The document also specifically addresses the need for deeper integration of Ukraine's energy system with the EU's energy system, as winter is expected to continue amid repeated Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
In parallel, the EU wants to call for “full and effective implementation” sanctions against Russia, as well as to use additional punitive measures to counteract the circumvention of these sanctions.
EU Position on Georgia and Moldova
The document also mentions Moldova, where the EU promises the country “decisive support” on the path to European integration. Official Brussels also wants to emphasize its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova.
It should be noted that a few days after the EU summit in Brussels, a referendum will be held in Moldova on October 20, in which citizens will decide on the country's future membership in the European Union. In parallel with the referendum, the country will hold presidential elections.
Separately, the European Union condemned Russia's attempts to use foreign information manipulation and interference to undermine the democratic elections and the choice of the people of Moldova.
In the case of Georgia, Brussels will also reiterate its grave concerns about the course of action in Georgia, which runs counter to the values and principles on which the European Union is founded.
The draft document also provides a warning to Georgia regarding decisions by Georgian legislators, through which the government harasses and suppresses the political opposition and restricts the LGBT community. According to the EU draft document, these steps by Tbilisi “threaten” Georgia's European integration.
Before this, in the spring and early summer, the Georgian Dream party adopted and urgently published two bills that caused protests, public discontent, and criticism from the US and the EU. We are talking about Georgian laws, one of which provides for the introduction of the status of foreign agents, which was done in analogy with the repressive Russian law, as well as the law on the restriction of LGBT rights, which is presented by the official Georgian authorities as “protection of traditional values”.
At the same time, the European Union confirms its support for the desire of the Georgian people to join the EU.
