EU grapples with Ukraine war, boosts Moldova accession
The 26 EU leaders who signed a communiqué at the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday, June 25, seem to have exhausted their imagination when it comes to concrete measures to end the war in Ukraine.
EU leaders failed to adopt a joint declaration of support for Ukraine due to opposition from Hungary. The document was backed by 26 member states, with Hungary being the sole dissenter. In contrast, some progress seems to have been made regarding the Republic of Moldova and its separation from Ukraine in the EU accession process.
The leaders' final declaration had already circulated among journalists present since Thursday, so the summit's conclusions are already known.
Regarding Ukraine, as was known since Thursday, only 26 countries—excluding Hungary—agreed to sign the joint European communiqué of support for Kyiv.
Regarding the Republic of Moldova, however, which is discussed in a brief chapter at the end of the 16-page declaration, for the first time it states that negotiations will begin "on merit." In European jargon, this can be deciphered as a kind of separate track from Ukraine, with the two no longer being considered as coming "as a package deal."
Furthermore, all EU countries, with the exception of Hungary, also pledged to continue providing financial support to Ukraine. The EU promises to allocate €30.6 billion in 2025.
EU leaders also emphasized the importance of humanitarian efforts, including the release of prisoners and the return of deported civilians and children illegally taken to Russia and Belarus.
However, although they surprisingly managed to remain united against Russia in 2022, the Twenty-Seven have become utterly divided on the Middle East issue, resembling a fragmented puzzle. Indeed, member states disagree on almost everything, be it the "Twelve-Day War" between Israel and Iran, the Gaza conflict, the future of Palestine, or even the threat posed by political Islamism.
While the EU has certainly decided to rearm to face the Russian threat, both by creating an internal market for defense industries and by increasing military spending, the NATO summit in The Hague demonstrated the extent to which Europeans remain deeply reliant on the United States, agreeing, as Donald Trump demanded as a price for maintaining American protection, to increase their security efforts to 5% of GDP within four years. The cost will likely be even higher if Washington wins the customs confrontation against an EU terrified of entering a trade war.
Military capabilities, and therefore the use of force in foreign theaters of operation, vary widely among Germany, Austria, Ireland, and Spain, on the one hand, and France, on the other. Ultimately, public opinion remains very divided, even if it has evolved.
However, despite all this, we should not despair about Europe. Firstly, the political will to achieve strategic autonomy exists at the heart of the Union, from France to Poland, including Finland. Secondly, Donald Trump, by promoting the Old Continent's rearmament agenda, has triggered a dynamic that risks getting out of his control, as Europeans will eventually gain military independence, including in the industrial sector, because Americans will not be able to satisfy global demand.
Finally, the most proactive countries in the field of security no longer hesitate to act outside the Union's framework to avoid being obstructed by Hungary, Ireland, or Spain. This, in the long term, could lead to a new treaty on common foreign and security policy, which could also include countries like the United Kingdom, Norway, or Canada.
Here's what the chapter on Moldova in the final declaration states:
“The European Council looks forward to the first Republic of Moldova-EU summit, scheduled for July 4, 2025, and reiterates the European Union's firm support for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, resilience, and economic development of the Republic of Moldova.
The European Union will continue to work closely with the Republic of Moldova to strengthen the country's resilience and stability in the face of persistent destabilizing activities by Russia, including hybrid attacks aimed at undermining the country's democratic institutions.
The European Council reiterates the European Union's unwavering support for the Republic of Moldova on its path to accession. The European Council commends the Republic of Moldova for the pace of its accession-related reforms, welcomes the significant progress made, and encourages the Republic of Moldova and the Commission to intensify their work within the accession process. The European Council invites the Council to take the next steps in the accession process, in accordance with the merit-based approach, by opening "clusters" (packages of negotiation chapters) when conditions are met. It notes the Commission's assessment that a certain fundamental ‘cluster’ is ready for opening.”
Translation by Iurie Tataru
