<h6><strong>Julio García</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, has sent a letter this Thursday to the heads of state and government of the EU, on the occasion of the extraordinary summit on 6 March, in which he states that “as regards Ukraine, there is a new impetus that should lead to a broad, fair and lasting peace”.</strong></h4> In the letter, Costa clarifies that this meeting next week will be dedicated to European defence and Ukraine. “In terms of European defence, my objective is to follow up on our informal meeting on 3 February with a view to taking the first short-term decisions, so that Europe is more sovereign, more capable and better equipped to face the immediate and future challenges to its security”, says the President of the European Council. He went on to say that “as far as Ukraine is concerned, there is a new momentum that should lead to a comprehensive, fair and lasting peace. It is therefore important that we exchange views on how to continue supporting Ukraine and on the principles that must be respected in the future.” “The EU and its Member States are ready to take on greater responsibility for Europe’s security. We must therefore be prepared for a possible European contribution to the security guarantees that will be necessary to ensure lasting peace in Ukraine,” he continued. In addition, Costa informed them that he has invited the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, “to come to Brussels on the occasion of the meeting of the European Council to discuss with us the latest developments.” <h5><strong>Macron and Trump</strong></h5> The invitation letter is published one day after the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, informed the heads of state and government of the EU about his recent meeting in Washington with the President of the United States, Donald Trump. The videoconference meeting with the heads of state and government of the European Union was convened by António Costa and also included the participation of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. “This morning I met with António Costa, Ursula von der Leyen and all the Member States to promote the creation of a European security and defence area and to prepare the next European Council,” declared the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, through social networks. “Ukraine, Spain and the world need a strong and united Europe, and we are going to give it to them,” he added. After the telematic meeting, Costa stressed that the information provided by Macron was “very useful to prepare the special European Council on March 6”, in which key decisions will be taken on support for Ukraine and the strengthening of European defence. For his part, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, reaffirmed the bloc's commitment “to work together to create the necessary conditions for a lasting and solid peace in Ukraine and for the security of Europe.” The video conference took place a day after a deal was reported in which Kyiv would have agreed to give up part of its mineral wealth in exchange for continued support from the new US administration. According to Trump himself, Volodymyr Zelensky could travel to Washington in the coming weeks to sign the agreement. During his meeting with Trump on Monday, Macron stressed the importance of establishing a lasting peace, noting that Europe faces a decisive moment. “We need guarantees for a solid and lasting peace,” he said. For his part, Trump assured that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be willing to accept the presence of European peacekeepers in Ukraine. “Yes, he will accept it. I have raised the issue with him and, if we achieve this agreement, he is not looking for more war,” the president said.
