Russia and immigration can wait. The heads of state and government of the EU countries gathered in Brussels for the European Council summit had to adjourn to another session on two thorny and divisive issues. If on the issue of migration flows a postponement was foreseen, something more could spring up on relations with Moscow, and the leaders leave the table faithful to years old strategies and on which progress is all to be demonstrated. It is no coincidence that the European Commission is given a mandate to produce a report on the state of the art, expected in June, when we will have to talk about immigration, for real.
The conclusions on Russia reaffirm the willingness to proceed according to the five guidelines that the EU set itself in March 2016. That is to say to ensure that the Minsk agreements for the end of the conflict in eastern Ukraine are respected, that relations with the Eastern partners of the Union, may the resistance capacity at twelve stars increase, especially on the energy and information front. Again, to marry “a selective engagement” with Russia on matters of European interest, and to support Russian civil society. It is on this that we must take stock, this is what the Twenty-seven have reiterated once more, net of the condemnations of the hostile maneuvers of the Kremlin.
Charles Michel explains that there has been “a fruitful, useful and in-depth debate on Russia, which serves for a strategic vision and for the next steps”. Beyond this the Prime Minister does not go, because there is little else in the conclusions of the session. It takes time, waiting for a way to be found to get out of the corner in which the European Union finds itself. Managing the Russian game is far from easy, and we proceed with political declarations of intent. The sanctions already imposed so far have not been able to change the situation, although the European Commission seems to suggest a change of approach on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
When we look at Russia “what we see today is a lagging economy and a regime that does not want to interact with us”, said the president of the community executive, Ursula von der Leyen, convinced that “energy cooperation will not bring any change in this’. Insisting on the submarine pipeline project to bring Russian gas to Germany, therefore, could be of little use and perhaps the entire dossier could be reconsidered.
We will certainly return to immigration. Theme evoked by the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, and also raised by the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. But not only from them. Michel admits that “more heads of state and government have asked to discuss this at the next European Council”, scheduled for the end of June. It is here that we must try to take stock of the situation, given that the issue “has not been dealt with in substance”.
On the other hand, there is some substance on the chapter relating to Belarus, closed as planned. The leaders have decided to close the EU’s airspace to Belarusian companies, and now the relevant ministers will have to define ways to ensure that European carriers avoid flying over the skies of Belarus. Not only. Also in response to the hijacking of the Ryanair Athens-Vilnius flight by the Minsk authorities, a mandate was given to foreign ministers to update the lists of persons and economic entities affected by restrictive measures. The targeted sanctions will not be approved on May 27, given that the planned Foreign Affairs Council is informal in nature, and therefore not suitable for making decisions. Possible if a formal one is convened the same day, immediately after, or an extraordinary one will have to be convened.
When the list is updated, the European Union External Action Service, headed by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Joseppe Borrell, will most likely begin to wash in the technical area to begin to identify the subjects to be sanctioned.
Finally, the Middle East and the United Kingdom. The EU reiterates that the only solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is a two-state one, while inviting us to remain united to ensure that London respects “all the points of the withdrawal agreement”.