“Unwavering” support forUkraine complete with initial commitments on «anti-air defense», the appeal for «maximum moderation» for all parties involved in the Middle East and the restart of Turkey’s process of rapprochement with the European Union, even if only in a « gradual, proportional and reversible”. While the war fronts continue to expand, the last European Council of the legislature is taking place in Brussels.
Ukraine-Russia, Zelensky calls for the same air defense as Israel. Borrell: «Let’s take the Patriots out of the warehouses and give them to Kiev»
Between last night and this morning the leaders of the Twenty-Seven tried to flex their muscles, sending signals of unity across the board and trying to engage in the right gear for after the June vote, also with regard to medium and long-term prospects, like the future of the Single Market.
The work of the European Council
And so the long working dinner held last night based on scallops and sole leaves conclusions on the table that not only “please” the usual guest of honor Volodymyr Zelensky by recognizing «the need for an urgent provision of anti-aircraft defense » (but without indicating either timing or methods), but they relaunch the commitment to a de-escalation among the regional players in the field in the Middle East. On this point, the text signed by the leaders is the usual game of diplomatic entanglements which, in confirming support for Israel while condemning its excesses, culminates in the European Union’s desire to follow in the wake of the United States and the Italian-led G7 by adopting «further measures restrictive measures against Iran, in particular in relation to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles.” Not only.
Middle East
To prevent regional instability from turning into a surge in arrivals of irregular migrants, the Twenty-Seven also confirm their commitment to supporting Lebanon in the management of refugees, internally displaced persons and host communities (as well as «in the fight against trafficking and to human trafficking”, as requested by Giorgia Meloni). More or less along the same lines is the chapter of the conclusions dedicated to Turkey, which is also particularly dear to Meloni and Germany. Despite resistance from Cyprus – the island is divided in two: between the Republic of Cyprus, a member of the EU since 2004, and Northern Cyprus, a de facto independent state but recognized only by Ankara – late at night the leaders finally agreed that it is «in the European Union’s strategic interest to be able to count on a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and to develop mutually beneficial cooperative relations with Turkey». And that is, on the “gradual, proportional and reversible” relaunch of the road to a possible future integration of the country led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Letta Report
This morning, however, at the center of the debate is the report drawn up by the former Italian Prime Minister Letta after seven months of work and hundreds of meetings in all EU countries on the future of the Single Market. «There is no time to waste, the gap between the EU and the USA is becoming increasingly wider. The possibility opens up of strengthening the single market to eliminate fragmentation starting from the three points left behind: “energy, telecommunications and financial markets”.
“The main proposal is to integrate them” is the meaning of the report according to the former Democratic secretary. «The other part of the report – he explained arriving at Europa building – concerns the social dimension of the single market, how to help workers, how to help citizens and how to promote innovation» recalling «the proposal on the fifth freedom, which is the way to add to the normal traditional freedoms all the freedoms of the movement of goods, services, capital and people, a fifth freedom on innovation, research, knowledge, skills, data and artificial intelligence”.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED