The leaders will extend their crisis diplomacy from a conference room in Brussels to a castle in the Belgian countryside, concluding in Munich with the world’s largest international security conference. Meanwhile, MEPs will convene in Strasbourg to discuss renewing the EU’s trade deal with the U.S. and approving its long-term budget from 2028 to 2034, while ambassadors from all member countries will engage in talks in Brussels on Tuesday.
Here’s the schedule for the week.
Wednesday: EU’s defense chiefs meet
The EU’s defense ministers will gather in Brussels for a Foreign Affairs Council with a single focus: supporting Ukraine.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, appointed last month after serving as the minister of digital transformation, will attend to inform the bloc’s defense chiefs of Ukraine’s pressing needs as the nation nears the four-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to a European official familiar with the meeting and speaking on condition of anonymity.
Fedorov is expected to request additional air defense missile systems, including Patriots and NASAMS, which have been priorities for Kyiv. The meeting will also address collaboration in defense innovation, specifically regarding drones and new military technology.
Wednesday’s meeting should prompt Europe to consider a substantial Plan B for its own security as the U.S. gradually withdraws from the transatlantic alliance, said Fabrice Pothier, CEO of Rasmussen Global, a consultancy. “Europe must be capable of standing independently if we are left to face challenges alone,” he told POLITICO.
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