Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
"I would like to invite you to a special European Council on 6 March, which will be devoted to European defence and Ukraine," said Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, in a message to the leaders of the member states published in Brussels today, Thursday.
"With regard to European defence, my aim is to follow up on what happened at the informal summit on 3 February with the aim of taking the first decisions in the short term, so that Europe becomes more sovereign, more capable and better equipped to deal with the immediate and future challenges to its security.
"With regard to Ukraine, there is a new momentum, which should lead to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. It is therefore important for us to exchange views on how to support Ukraine further and what principles should be respected in the future. The European Union and its member states are ready to take greater responsibility for the security of Europe. We must therefore be prepared for a possible European contribution to the security guarantees that will be necessary to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine.
"I have invited President Zelensky to come to Brussels on the occasion of the European Council meeting to discuss the latest developments with us.
We will start our meeting at 12:30 "Brussels time" with an exchange Traditional views with the President of the European Parliament, followed by a discussion with President Zelenskyy over lunch. We will then focus on European defence, followed by a discussion on Ukraine.