EU foreign ministersare meeting this morning inBrusselsto talk about the bloc’s position onUkraineandRussiaand the worsening crisis inthe Middle East.
The foreign affairs council kicks off what some dubbed a “super week” in European – and not only – politics, withthe Nato summitin The Hague andthe European Council summitlater this week.
And there’s plenty to talk about.
Today’s meeting starts withUkraine, afteranother night of heavy Russian attackswith 352 drones and 16 missiles reported by the country’s air force, mostly targetingKyiv. At least six were killed, and over a dozen were injured.
Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskyysaid that “preliminary reports indicate that ballistic weapons fromNorth Koreawere also used.”
“Everyone in countries neighbouring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be thinking carefully about whether they could protect lives ifthis coalition of murdererspersists and continues spreading their terror,” he warned.
Zelenskyy will be in Britain todayfor further talks on “new and powerful steps to increase pressure on Russia for this war and to put an end to the strikes.”
The EU ministers will then turn to theMiddle East, likely calling for a return to negotiations and the need to avoid further escalation.
A big discussion is also expected on potentially triggering a review ofthe EU-Israel association agreement, but will they want to do this amid escalating and uncertain situation in the region?
Elsewhere, I will be checking on the latest in the buildup to theNatosummit, and other updates fromGermany,Norway,SwedenandRomaniaamong others.
It’sMonday, 23 June 2025, it’sJakub Krupahere, and this isEurope Live.
Good morning.
Poland’sRadosław Sikorskiis speaking to the media now.
He saysRussiais using the escalating situation in the Middle East as a cover for intensifying its attacks on Ukraine.
Separately, Sikorski also says that more EU countries are now advancing with their plans to evacuate citizens from Israel and the broader region, and notes that Poland has just completed its third evacuation flight, helping some 300 people to leave in total.
On the EU-Israel association agreement, he says it has not been discussed yet, but might be later in the day.
EU foreign policy chiefKaja Kallassaid the leaders are“very much focused” on finding a diplomatic solutionto the situation with Iran with growing “concerns of retaliation and this war escalating.”
She said thatIran’sdecision to close the Strait of Hormuz “is something that would be extremely dangerous and not good for anybody.”
She also said the summit will discuss the association agreement withIsrael, with the EU’s review ready for discussion, and Israel submitting its response.
OnUkraine, she said:
“… while our eyes are on what is happening in Iran and the Middle East, there are people dying and in Kyiv, because Russia is keeping the bombs and bombing Ukraine every single day.”
She said the focus was on agreeing further military and ammunition support for Ukraine and “pushing” for the 18th package of sanctions.
Ukrainian foreign ministerAndrii Sybihais taking part in this morning’s EU foreign affairs council.
In his opening comments, he worried about“another sleepless night in Kyiv”with another Russian “heavy missile attack on Ukrainian civilian targets.”
“That’s the real response of the Russian side to all peace efforts, all peace proposals,” he said.
“Putin is a warmaker,”he warned, adding it was the time “to engage all diplomatic instruments toraise the price for further Russian aggression”and “to force Russia to peace.”
Spain’sAlbaresalso called foran immediate suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement, saying “the times of words and declarations is behind” and adding that “Palestinians in Gaza have no more time to lose.”
“If the association agreement is based on human rights,it’s the most normal thing that we suspend immediately today that association agreementand that we move forward.
That’s why I will ask for the suspension of the association agreement,an embargo of selling weapons to Israel, and enlarging the list of people that are being sanctioned to everyone that wants to be a spoiler of the two-state solution.”
The Spanish minister added thatEurope“must show courage in favour of peace, of international law” and defend the values it is meant to stand up for.
Spanish foreign ministerJosé Manuel Albaresis among the first to arrive at the foreign affairs council in Brussels.
He says that over the weekend,Spain has reached an agreement with Nato on the proposed 5% defence spending commitmentto be adopted at this week’s summit, after prime minister Pedro Sánchez harshly criticised it as “unreasonable” and “unproductive”.
By the sound of it, the fix relies onchanging the wording to make it sound like Spain agrees with the ambition, but is not bound by the percentage – as long as it meets its obligations in another way.
Albares saidSpain remained “fully committed”on “unity and the European and Euro-Atlantic security,” with “a historic number of Spanish soldiers on the eastern flank” of Nato.
But, he said, “we think that the debate must not be around percentage, but capabilities,” and thatSpain can meet its obligations spending less, around 2.1%.
EU foreign ministersare meeting this morning inBrusselsto talk about the bloc’s position onUkraineandRussiaand the worsening crisis inthe Middle East.
The foreign affairs council kicks off what some dubbed a “super week” in European – and not only – politics, withthe Nato summitin The Hague andthe European Council summitlater this week.
And there’s plenty to talk about.
Today’s meeting starts withUkraine, afteranother night of heavy Russian attackswith 352 drones and 16 missiles reported by the country’s air force, mostly targetingKyiv. At least six were killed, and over a dozen were injured.
Ukrainian presidentVolodymyr Zelenskyysaid that “preliminary reports indicate that ballistic weapons fromNorth Koreawere also used.”
“Everyone in countries neighbouring Russia, Iran, and North Korea should be thinking carefully about whether they could protect lives ifthis coalition of murdererspersists and continues spreading their terror,” he warned.
Zelenskyy will be in Britain todayfor further talks on “new and powerful steps to increase pressure on Russia for this war and to put an end to the strikes.”
The EU ministers will then turn to theMiddle East, likely calling for a return to negotiations and the need to avoid further escalation.
A big discussion is also expected on potentially triggering a review ofthe EU-Israel association agreement, but will they want to do this amid escalating and uncertain situation in the region?
Elsewhere, I will be checking on the latest in the buildup to theNatosummit, and other updates fromGermany,Norway,SwedenandRomaniaamong others.
It’sMonday, 23 June 2025, it’sJakub Krupahere, and this isEurope Live.
Good morning.