Albares participates this Monday in EU Council meeting marked by the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine

Eduardo González Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares will participate this Monday in an EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting marked by the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The meeting, chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kakha Kallas, and held in Brussels, will discuss Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, following an informal exchange of views with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha. Among other measures, the EU Security Council is expected to adopt the twentieth package of sanctions against Russia and address future contributions to security in Ukraine based on proposals from EU member states. According to European diplomatic sources speaking to the Ukrainian news agency Interfax, following Sybiha's intervention via videoconference, Kallas will introduce two main topics: the EU's role in supporting peace efforts and the progress made in the Union's contribution to security guarantees, taking into account not only member states' proposals but also the conclusions of the recent Foreign Affairs Council on defense. The same sources indicated that negotiations have already begun with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to implement the High Representative's proposal for the creation of a joint financial instrument with Ukraine, which will also be discussed in Brussels. Furthermore, the 27 member states will be asked to mobilize more support and begin planning measures to strengthen Ukraine's energy resilience. Apart from the twentieth package of sanctions against Russia, which is expected to be approved at this EU Council meeting, the same source specified that the EU is also considering an annual renewal of sanctions related to the occupied territories. Furthermore, on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, António Costa, will travel to Kyiv on Tuesday. Brussels will host an extraordinary plenary session of the European Parliament, during which a debate on the war will take place and the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, financed through joint debt, will be approved. On February 11, Kaja Kallas chaired another meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, this time in the Defense format, where the defense ministers (including Spain's Margarita Robles) discussed the European Union's military support for Ukraine. At the meeting, which was also attended by Ukraine's new Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, Kallas stated that "Russia is not winning this war" and highlighted the European Parliament's approval of a €90 billion loan to cover Ukraine's needs during 2026 and 2027. Three days later, during his address at the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was absent from a scheduled meeting with European officials to discuss strategic coordination regarding the war in Ukraine. Although the cancellation was officially attributed to scheduling conflicts, the gesture came at a particularly sensitive time, amid growing speculation that President Donald Trump's administration might explore avenues for direct negotiations with Russia. For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced a new element to the debate by stating in Munich that Ukraine could hold elections if a temporary ceasefire is reached, a declaration that has been interpreted as an implicit acknowledgment of the possibility of a political transition phase linked to an eventual negotiation process. However, Zelenskyy reiterated that any solution must guarantee his country's long-term security. On January 26, Albares spoke with Andrii Sybiha to discuss Spanish aid to the country's energy system following the recent massive Russian attacks, "so that Ukrainians have light and heating." In addition to Ukraine, the EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in the Middle East in light of the latest developments in Gaza and the West Bank, and potentially in Iran. The High Representative for Gaza, Nikolai Mladenov, will also join the ministers. Prior to the Foreign Affairs Council meeting, an informal exchange will take place over breakfast on hybrid threats and the manipulation of information and interference by foreign actors.

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