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The German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, upon his arrival on the European Council in Brussels, indicated as a precedence the necessity to strengthen the European economic system in an more and more advanced world context
European Council underway, first subject Ukraine with Zelensky linked
The European Council is underway in Brussels. After the same old alternate of views with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, the primary merchandise on the agenda is the conflict in Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelensky intervenes within the proceedings by way of video hyperlink.
The subject of the 90 billion mortgage to Kiev, blocked by Hungary, should be resolved, in accordance with which Ukraine is voluntarily obstructing the movement of oil by the Druzhba pipeline. “We want to receive the oil that Ukraine is blocking. We will not support any decision in favor of Ukraine until Hungary receives the oil that belongs to it”, reiterated Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban this morning when arriving on the European Council.
Regarding the discharge of the mortgage, “I’m not very optimistic” however “I know that President Costa is working hard to find a solution, there are alternatives but political coverage is needed”, underlined Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, arriving on the summit. “Foreign ministers have put pressure on Hungary and proposed solutions in a constructive spirit but in election times people are not rational…,” he concluded, referring to the April 12 political vote in Hungary.
During the working lunch the disaster within the Middle East shall be mentioned, with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres current. The dialogue will then proceed on the subject of competitiveness whereas at dinner the leaders will talk about the MFF, the European finances.
Ukraine, Michal: ban Russian fighters from the EU perpetually
Estonia needs Russian troopers “to be banned from Europe forever, which means we should change the visa rules, the Schengen rules, so that we do not have Russian fighters and anyone who assisted Russia in occupying or fighting against Ukraine in Europe.” Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal acknowledged this when coming into the European Council, underlining that in the intervening time Moscow “has more men under arms than at the beginning of the war, and everyone in Europe can imagine what would happen, for example, if the war stopped now: it would mean that those fighters, people with criminal records and experience in killing, would find themselves on the streets or on holiday in Europe, and we don’t want that”.
Energy, Tajani: EU resolve, it is an emergency
According to the minister, it’s essential to “intervene on the price of gas, because even this morning in Amsterdam we have risen to very high levels” and “this is not good. We must try to find a ceiling from Europe”. During the EPP pre-summit, he continued, “we spoke at length about the ETS issue. I reiterated what the Italian position is, also in the face of the strong requests coming from the productive world, to intervene quickly, even during today’s European Council”. On the ETS, he recalled, there’s “a position shared by many countries”, together with “Poland, which have made a clear intervention. We ask for a suspension intervention, at least for the aspects concerning electricity”. Furthermore, there’s “a pressing demand also from the agricultural world for fertilizers”. For the minister, “the blockade of fertilizers risks causing enormous damage to the agricultural world”, in addition to “possible famines in the poorest countries. I believe it is right to intervene”, he concluded.
https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/consiglio-europeo-merz-serve-grande-passo-avanti-competitivita-energia-e-difesa-AImaff2B