Three news from the EU that prove that the words of “unwavering support” for Ukraine is just rhetoric
21 March 09:30
ANALYSIS
At the Munich Security Conference, the United States made it clear to the European Union that Europe’s security is its own problem. After that, the rhetoric of European officials for several days was filled with loud statements that it was time for Europe to wake up and finally start taking care of its own security.
In the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, European leaders were racing to generate ideas about how they would support Ukraine and how they would help it achieve a just peace. They talked about peacekeepers (who would be in the rear), about closing the skies over Ukraine with British aircraft, about Taurus missiles, and even about the fact that a significant part of the planned 800 billion-dollar EU defense package would go to Ukraine.
A month later, the European rhetoric remains as sweet as ever toward Ukraine, but in reality, the EU is making decisions and taking actions that are extremely difficult to call helping Ukraine defend Europe.
Just a few days after the Munich conference, it turned out that Belgium would hand over 30 F-16s to Ukraine not by the end of 2025, as planned and promised, but by the end of 2028. The reason was announced: The United States is delaying the delivery of F-35s, which are supposed to replace the F-16s in the Belgian military fleet. 30 F-16s are a significant number, and they could significantly improve Ukraine’s position in the sky, including a very significant boost to its air defense system. Now Ukraine cannot count on these aircraft until 2028.
Later, it turned out that the approved 800 billion euro defense package for Ukraine did not include anything special. It only mentions that Ukrainian defense companies are part of the same “pool” as European ones, and therefore the purchase of weapons from them is a priority along with EU companies.
At the same time, it turned out that during the third year of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war, the EU spent more money on Russian fossil fuels than on financial assistance to Ukraine. During this time, the EU bought 21.9 billion euros worth of Russian oil and gas. This amount is one-sixth higher than the 18.7 billion euros that the EU has allocated to Ukraine as financial assistance in 2024.
We haven’t heard anything about Taurus missiles over the past month either.
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Three fresh “greetings” from the EU as a symbol of “unwavering support”
Yesterday, three pieces of news came out of the EU summit at once, confirming once again that European support for Ukraine is “strong and unwavering” in words only. In reality, on March 20, the EU prepared the following “gifts” for Ukraine.
The EU has finally abandoned the idea of confiscating Russian assets
The European Union will not confiscate frozen assets of the Russian Federation – several countries have opposed it. This was reported by Deutsche Welle with reference to the text of the conclusions of the EU summit of March 20.
The document shows that the EU has stopped discussing the confiscation of frozen Russian assets.
“According to EU law, Russian assets should remain frozen until Russia ends its aggressive war against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused by this war,”
– reads the text adopted by the EU leaders.
Several EU countries opposed the confiscation of more than 200 billion euros of Russian assets, arguing that it was based on
- eU legislation;
- the danger of such a precedent for European competitiveness in the financial services market;
- the need to support Ukraine with interest on these funds;
- assets are a “card” in peace negotiations and an important influence on Russia.
The document states that the EU is ready to further increase pressure on Russia by imposing additional sanctions and strengthening control over compliance with existing restrictions.
The EU failed to approve even 5 billion euros for Ukraine instead of the promised 40 billion
European Union leaders on Thursday again limited themselves to empty promises of support for Ukraine, ignoring a specific request from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for €5 billion for the urgent purchase of artillery ammunition, Reuters reported.
“We need funds for artillery shells, and we would very much appreciate European support of at least five billion euros as soon as possible,”
– Zelenskiy said during a video call with EU leaders in Brussels.
This request fell on deaf ears. Instead of taking concrete action, European leaders limited themselves to another general statement about “continuing regular support” and “intensifying efforts.” At the same time, no clear answer was given to the request for 5 billion euros.
It is especially telling that the bloc’s chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, had previously proposed allocating as much as €40 billion in military aid to Ukraine in 2025, but now the EU has failed to agree on even an eighth of that amount.
The chairman of the summit , Antonio Costa, only vaguely mentioned some “15 billion euros of aid in recent weeks” (presumably referring to the Ukraine Facility program) and expressed hope that these commitments would increase in the future.
The EU is preparing new, even stricter, restrictions for Ukrainian sugar
the “icing on the cake” of yesterday’s “unwavering support” was the news that the European Commission plans to drastically reduce sugar imports from Ukraine. EU producers have complained that large supplies have caused a collapse in sugar prices, three sources told Reuters, and now the EU plans to further restrict Ukraine’s already rather symbolic free trade regime with the EU.
According to the sources, the intention to reduce sugar imports was voiced by European Commissioner for Agriculture Christof Hansen during a meeting with leaders of French farmers’ unions and industry representatives at an agricultural exhibition in Paris in late February.
Hansen did not say exactly how much imports could be reduced, but noted that they would be “significantly lower” than the current level. He also said that he would address other imports from Ukraine, such as grain, without disclosing details.
During an online conference last week, Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, expressed hope for a fair agricultural agreement between the EU and Ukraine.
“The EU understands that we cannot beat our heads against the wall and return to the trade conditions that existed 10 years ago,” he said,
– he said.
In fact, Taras Kachka probably understands that this case clearly demonstrates the difference between the EU’s rhetoric and actual actions toward Ukraine. When the economic interests of European producers are threatened, statements of solidarity are quickly replaced by restrictive measures that hit the Ukrainian economy at a time when it needs support the most. European farmers argue that imports from Ukraine undermine local supplies, lower prices, and make it harder for them to sell – and this argument is enough to return to protectionism, despite the difficult situation in Ukraine.
The current provision on duty-free trade between Ukraine and the EU contains “safeguards” that protect European producers. In particular, the European Commission may take any measures it deems necessary if imports from Ukraine cause “significant disturbances” on the EU market or the markets of one or more EU Member States. In such a case, the European Commission may launch an “emergency brake” for particularly sensitive agricultural products. This list includes the following products:
- poultry
- eggs
- sugar
- oats
- cereals
- corn;
- honey.
However, the European Commission has not only options but also responsibilities. If imports of these goods exceed the average import volumes recorded in the second half of 2021 and for the entirety of 2022 and 2023, customs tariffs must be restored within 14 days.
Thus, the EU has practically returned import quotas for many Ukrainian goods, albeit at a rather high level.
The current agreement is valid until June 5, 2025. So, even if a new agreement is signed, we should expect even more stringent conditions from June 5.
Summary
These were the three main news messages for Ukraine on March 20 from the European Union, Ukraine’s main partner, ally, and friend today, which will support it in the war “as long as necessary.”
