Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

In the early hours of Friday, the final statement of the discussions of the first day of the summit of the leaders of the European Union countries in Brussels was issued, which lasted for two days. The first day’s discussions were devoted to files related to immigration, the situation in Ukraine, security and defense, and according to the European statement, which we received a copy of, the leaders held a discussion on immigration and joined them. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at a working lunch to discuss EU-NATO cooperation and Euro-Atlantic security. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, addressed the leaders via video conference.
The leaders of the European Union reiterated their firm condemnation of the Russian war and their unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and its people.
To date, the EU and its member states have provided more than 77 billion euros to Ukraine. They will continue to provide strong support for Ukraine's economy, society, armed forces and future reconstruction. The EU will also provide flexible financial assistance to strengthen support for displaced people in Ukraine and the EU.

The EU stands ready to provide sustained military support to Ukraine for as long as it takes, in particular through the Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine and the European Peace Facility, an extrabudgetary fund for conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
In this regard, the leaders of the European Union assessed the progress of the joint delivery of ammunition to Ukraine and its procurement.
1,000,000
Artillery shells for Ukraine before March 2024
They stressed the importance of continuing efforts to help meet Ukraine's urgent military and defense needs, taking into account the security and defense policies of member states. The European Union and its Member States stand ready to contribute to future security commitments to ensure long-term stability in Ukraine.
The destruction of the Kakhovka Dam
The European Union leaders condemned in the strongest terms the deliberate destruction of the dam at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant, which had devastating humanitarian and environmental repercussions and endangered the safety and security of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant.
The leaders welcomed the emergency assistance for relief efforts at EU level.
Ukraine reconstruction
The EU leaders, who are firmly committed to reform, recovery and reconstruction in Ukraine, emphasized the need to ensure stable, predictable and sustainable fiscal support in the coming years. They called on the relevant EU and international actors to:
Stepping up support for Ukraine's most urgent infrastructure needs
Proceed with work on frozen Russian assets
To achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the European Union extends its full support to the formula for peace in the country.
Hold the perpetrators accountable
The European Union is firmly committed to ensuring that Russia is held fully responsible for its war. In this regard, the EU leaders welcomed the progress made in establishing the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) and called for further work on:
Court to try the crime of aggression against Ukraine
International cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of the most serious crimes
Damage record
The EU leaders also called for the immediate safe return of Ukrainian civilians, including children, who were illegally deported to Russia and Belarus.
European Union leaders reviewed efforts to increase pressure on Russia in order to weaken its ability to wage war, including through the effective implementation of sanctions as well as preventing circumvention of them.
In this context, they welcomed the adoption of the eleventh sanctions package and called on the Council of the European Union and the European Parliament to quickly complete work on the proposed rules for rounding off criminal offenses and penalties for violating the EU's restrictive measures.
European Union leaders condemned the continued military support provided by Iran and Belarus to Russia.
Belarus must stop allowing the Russian Armed Forces to use its territory, including for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. Iran should stop supplying drones to Russia.
Russia continues to use food as a weapon, thus undermining global food security. The EU leaders expressed their deep concern over the continued slowdown in the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and called for a speedy and full resumption of its operations. They also acknowledged that the European Union Solidarity Paths have an effective role in enhancing global food security.

For security and defense
The EU is committed to taking more responsibility for its own security and increasing its capacity to act independently while recognizing the transatlantic relationship and EU-NATO cooperation as key to the EU's overall security.
The EU leaders assessed the progress made in implementing the previous conclusions, in particular the Versailles Declaration, in which the leaders outlined the necessary measures to strengthen the EU's defense capabilities. They also welcomed the progress made in implementing the Strategic Compass, which outlines a coherent set of measures to help secure EU interests and protect European citizens.
Security and defense
The EU is committed to taking more responsibility for its own security and increasing its capacity to act independently while recognizing the transatlantic relationship and EU-NATO cooperation as key to the EU's overall security.
The EU leaders assessed the progress made in implementing the previous conclusions, in particular the Versailles Declaration, in which the leaders outlined the necessary measures to strengthen the EU's defense capabilities. They also welcomed the progress made in implementing the Strategic Compass, which outlines a coherent set of measures to help secure EU interests and protect European citizens.
European Peace Facility
The European Union leaders welcomed the decision to increase the financial ceiling of the European Peace Facility.
3.5 billion euros
Increasing the financial ceiling of the fund
This financial increase will help:
Maintaining the global geographical scope of the facility
Continue to provide military support to Ukraine
Preserving the EU's ability to quickly prevent and respond to crises
Capacity building through training missions