Jacques Serais, edited by Ugo Pascolo
modified to
8:12 p.m., March 11, 2022
At the end of two days of a crisis summit, the Twenty-Seven, meeting in Versailles, expressed great solidarity in their words with Ukraine. And so few concrete decisions have been announced, Emmanuel Macron has shown firmness by promising new sanctions against Russia, if things do not evolve in the right direction on the military level.
Great solidarity in words, but few immediate measures. After two days at the crisis summit in Versailles, the Twenty-Seven have taken a little more to the defense of Ukraine, which has now been facing the Russian invasion for 16 days. In a joint statement, they even believe that “Ukraine is part of our European family”.
A single concrete measure in the short term
And while Emmanuel Macron warned that the Europeans were ready to take “massive sanctions” against Russia if the war in Ukraine continued, saying that the European Union would support Ukraine “to the end”, the concrete measures to the outcome of this summit are few. There is even only one in the short term: the doubling of the envelope used to deliver military equipment to Ukraine, which will therefore reach one billion euros.
For the rest, it’s a calendar, which was decided during these two days. A roadmap that should lay the foundations for greater European sovereignty, particularly on energy issues. “By mid-May we will refine our thinking to propose alternatives to gas and oil by 2027,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “By mid-May, the Commission will present options to optimize the design of the electricity market, so that it better supports the green transition.”
Towards a fourth package of sanctions against Moscow
And Ursula von der Leyen also announced a fourth package of sanctions against Russia, but without detailing the outlines. An exit which did not prevent Emmanuel Macron from promising to tighten the screw if nothing moves. “Depending on the development of events on the ground, we are not ruling anything out. […] If things continue on the military level, we will take new sanctions”, he declared. But before getting there, the French president still hopes for a return to peace.