European Union leaders will agree on the strategic direction for the next five years on Thursday and decide on the management of their institutions, with particular focus on helping Ukraine resist Russia and strengthening the EU's own defense.
Leaders from the 27 EU countries will start a two-day summit by signing a security agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to show their support for Ukraine in its third year of resisting Moscow's invasion.
The leaders will reaffirm their commitment to supporting Ukraine, emphasizing that "Russia cannot win" and that Ukraine must reclaim territories annexed by Moscow, as reflected in the draft conclusions prepared for the summit.
They will also call on EU institutions to formulate a €50 billion loan plan to be repaid using profits generated from the frozen assets of the Russian Central Bank in the West following Moscow’s invasion.
The war in Ukraine has exposed the EU's unpreparedness for conflict, as it struggles to supply Kyiv with enough weapons to counter Russia, leading to calls for greater coordination of EU defense systems and investment in the defense industry.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia on Wednesday called on the EU to establish a defensive line along its borders with Russia and Belarus to protect the Union from Moscow's military threats and other harmful activities.
Defense investment will be part of the "strategic agenda" that EU leaders will agree upon at the summit. This document will guide EU institutions on the priorities that European governments want them to focus on during 2024-2029.
