EU leaders dash Ukraine’s swift accession hopes

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France’s President Emmanuel Macron and EU leaders pose for a family photograph at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, on March 10, 2022, ahead of the EU leaders summit to discuss the fallout of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. – EU leaders are scrambling to find ways to urgently address the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has imperilled the bloc’s economy and exposed a dire need for a stronger defence. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

by Alex Pigman
Agence France-Presse

VERSAILLES, France (AFP) – EU leaders doused Ukraine’s hopes Thursday of quickly gaining European Union membership, as they met to urgently address the fallout of Russia’s invasion of its pro-Brussels neighbour.

The meeting at the palace of Versailles was set to be the high point of France’s six-month EU presidency. But President Emmanuel Macron is instead leading a crisis summit following Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s invasion which has upended decades of stability in Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (2R) and Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Xavier Bettel (R) sit with other leaders as they arrive to ttend a EU leaders summit to discuss the fallout of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, on March 10, 2022. – EU leaders are scrambling to find ways to urgently address the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has imperilled the bloc’s economy and exposed a dire need for a stronger defence. (Photo by Michel Euler / POOL / AFP)

The Ukraine war and the EU’s energy supply dominated the two-day meeting, with leaders sitting down for dinner in the same Hall of Mirrors where Western allies carved out a new map of Europe in 1919 after World War I.

“Europe changed with the pandemic and it will change even faster and stronger with the war,” Macron said as he greeted his counterparts at the former residence of France’s Sun King, Louis XIV.

EU leaders attend a summit to discuss the fallout of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine, at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, on March 10, 2022. – EU leaders are scrambling to find ways to urgently address the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has imperilled the bloc’s economy and exposed a dire need for a stronger defence. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP)

The 27 heads of state and government met as fighting raged for a 15th day in Ukraine, with an outcry over the bombing of a maternity hospital in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol.

Macron dubbed it a “disgraceful act of war”, with leaders from across the bloc condemning the atrocity and pointing the finger at Moscow, which has denied responsibility.

The conflict has seen a swell of support in the EU for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but leaders used the talks to reiterate that a speedy path to membership was impossible.

“There is no such thing as a fast track,” Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said as he arrived for the talks.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron greets Netherlands’ Prime Minister Mark Rutte (L) at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, on March 10, 2022, prior to the EU leaders summit to discuss the fallout of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. – EU leaders are scrambling to find ways to urgently address the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has imperilled the bloc’s economy and exposed a dire need for a stronger defence. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

“I want to focus on what can we do for Volodymyr Zelensky tonight, tomorrow, and EU accession of Ukraine is something for the long-term — if at all,” he added.

Former eastern bloc countries wanted a firmer signal towards EU membership, led by Poland which has seen 1.5 million refugees pour over its border.

There are those “who think that .. Ukrainians are fighting for their lives and (deserve) a strong political message … and those who are still debating the procedures,” said Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa.

‘Biggest issue’

This photograph taken on March 10, 2022, shows the French and EU flags fluttering on the rooftop of the Palace of Versailles during the EU leaders summit. – EU leaders are scrambling to find ways to urgently address the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has imperilled the bloc’s economy and exposed a dire need for a stronger defence. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

Even before the war, Macron’s ambition for the summit was to lay down a path to strengthen Europe’s stature on the world stage.

The issue took greater significance with Russia’s war on the bloc’s eastern edge, and leaders were to explore ways to shore-up Europe’s self-reliance in an unstable world, especially on energy.

The conflict has seen energy prices skyrocket, threatened the economy and sparked a pressing discussion on where Europeans can turn for gas and oil. The problem became more acute with the wave of Western sanctions against Russia that also put pressure on energy markets.

The EU imports about 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia with Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, especially dependent on the energy flow, along with Italy and several central European countries.

A container is decorated with a map showing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was expected to deliver Russian gas to European households, in Lubmin’s industrial park, northeastern Germany, on March 1, 2022. – Once defended by then chancellor Angela Merkel as a purely economic project that will bring cheaper gas to Europe, the controversial 10-billion-euro Nord Stream 2 pipeline has finally been canned by Germany over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the small German coastal village Lubmin where the pipeline comes to shore remains divided over Nord Stream 2. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP) 

About a quarter of the EU’s oil imports also come from Russia.

Europe’s dependency on Russian energy even caused the first crack in the West’s unified response to Putin’s aggression, with the EU this week shying away from a ban on Russian oil imports implemented by the United States and Britain.

European Commission chief Ursula Von Der Leyen said the 27 leaders agreed to explore ways to eliminate the bloc’s dependency on Russian fossil fuels in five years.

‘Resolutely invest’

The leaders on Friday will also try to advance on ways Europe can gain independence in highly sensitive sectors, including semiconductors, food production and, most notably, defence.

Collective security in the European Union is primarily handled by the US-led NATO alliance, but France, the EU’s biggest military power, seeks an enhanced role for the bloc.

Since Russia’s invasion of its pro-EU neighbour, bloc members have approved a total of half a billion euros in defence aid to Ukraine.

Berlin dramatically broke with long-standing doctrine when it announced it will plough 100 billion euros ($110 billion) into national defence.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron greets Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz (R) at the Palace of Versailles, near Paris, on March 10, 2022, prior to the EU leaders summit to discuss the fallout of Russia’s invasion in Ukraine. – EU leaders are scrambling to find ways to urgently address the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that has imperilled the bloc’s economy and exposed a dire need for a stronger defence. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

In view of the challenges, “we must resolutely invest more and better in defence capabilities and innovative technologies”, the leaders were expected to say.

© Agence France-Presse