Don’t forget Ukraine, warn Kyiv’s EU backers

14 mins read

April 12, 2024 7:02 am CET

DRIVING THE DAY: EUROPEAN COUNCIL

PUSH TO GET EU LEADERS FOCUSED ON UKRAINE: Despite Russia’s continued battering of Ukraine’s cities and infrastructure, EU leaders hadn’t planned to spend much time discussing Kyiv’s immediate defense needs during a gathering in Brussels next week. The plan was to focus instead on the bloc’s competitiveness.

Forgot something? But after Russian missiles destroyed a key power plant near Kyiv on Thursday, a group of countries is ramping up efforts to bring leaders’ focus back onto Ukraine — including on the need for air defense systems, two EU diplomats told Playbook.

Tweaking the draft: This group of staunchly pro-Kyiv countries is pushing to include language on Ukraine in the conclusions of the European Council gathering next week after an initial draft circulated Monday among diplomats didn’t mention it.

Feedback: “It might send the wrong signal if the European Council is seen as not discussing Ukraine given the developments we are seeing,” said one diplomat who asked not to be named to discuss the non-public deliberations around Council conclusions. Another told Playbook: “If the EU won’t act now, Russia will feel invincible and take our lack of action as a signal that it’s OK to destroy.”

**A message from Planet: Turn the tide on natural disasters. Early warning systems empower authorities to anticipate flood, wildfire, or drought, to preemptively secure vulnerable areas, and to effectively mitigate potential damages. Planet Labs can help arm communities and governments with the insights needed to enhance disaster preparedness and recovery efforts around the globe.**

Air defenses: The last-minute push follows a vote on Thursday in the European Parliament geared at raising pressure on leaders to deliver at least seven Patriot batteries to Ukraine — the number cited by officials in Kyiv as the absolute minimum to maintain protection of cities and key infrastructure. Read the full story from Eddy Wax and Jacopo Barigazzi.

Plenty lying around: The problem does not appear to be a lack of Patriots in Western arsenals. In a speech earlier this week, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell disclosed that Western armies possess “about 100” of them.

It’s more like a lack of will. “Still, we are not able to provide the seven they are desperately asking for,” said Borrell.

The question now: Where are these Patriot batteries, and how long until countries are called out for holding onto them when they face little risk of aerial attack? In a tweet sent late Thursday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote cryptically that “both Kyiv and Paris know where these systems are. Certain decisions can be made quickly. Others require time, but work on them must begin immediately. Urgent action is required.”

Boost from DC: U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said Thursday that the United States had signed a deal with Kyiv to provide it with $138 million in critical air defense system upgrades. But given Kuleba’s tweet landed more than an hour after Brink’s, it seems unlikely these upgrades are sufficient to meet Ukraine’s needs.

Bottom line: Europe is understandably focused on preparing its future, particularly in the event Donald Trump returns to the White House. But if the EU fails to address Ukraine’s immediate challenges, its push for greater autonomy will start to look hollow.

FROZEN ASSETS

CONSENSUS BUILDS ON RUSSIAN ASSETS-FOR-AMMO: Officials are optimistic that there will soon be a deal on the Commission’s proposal to use most of the profits generated by Russia’s frozen assets to buy weapons for Ukraine. That’s a surprise, given how difficult it has previously been to agree on buying weapons for Kyiv, Gregorio Sorgi writes in to report.

Von der Leyen’s plan: Today, the dedicated working party will discuss the Commission’s proposal to use 90 percent of the profits from Russia’s assets to buy weapons for Ukraine, while directing remaining funding for non-military purposes. The EU’s end goal is to send the cash to Kyiv by July.

Moscow’s friends aren’t happy: Several member countries are lukewarm about this plan. Hungary and Slovakia argue handing more weapons to Ukraine will feed into a military escalation.

Nor are the neutrals: Non-NATO EU members including Malta, Austria, Cyprus and Ireland are also uncomfortable with the idea of arming Ukraine using the proceeds of the frozen assets. Malta challenged the legality of this move during a technical meeting on Monday. But these grumblings are unlikely to stand in the way of the Commission’s proposal, five officials told our colleagues on the Morning Financial Services newsletter.

What’s next: EU ambassadors will talk frozen assets on Monday. That might be too early to seal a deal, with an EU diplomat saying it could take two rounds of discussions to do that.

MEANWHILE, IN SWITZERLAND: Campaigners backed by the right-wing populist Swiss People’s Party gathered enough signatures to trigger a referendum on neutrality that could kill the country’s Russia sanctions. The FT has a write-up.

NOW READ THIS: The EU will haul Germany to court unless Berlin revises a controversial gas law that neighboring countries say is harming their efforts to diversify away from Russian energy, my colleagues Victor Jack and Julia Wacket reveal.

PIEPERGATE LATEST

WHERE’S MARKUS? Markus Pieper — the German center-right MEP and ally of Ursula von der Leyen who is controversially poised to become her SME envoy next week — was nowhere to be seen during the two-day Parliament session this week. But he was certainly the talk of the town. On Thursday, more than half of the Parliament’s 705 lawmakers called on the Commission to rescind Pieper’s appointment and reopen a “truly transparent and open” recruitment procedure.

Out on a limb: EPP German Green lawmaker Daniel Freund, who is behind an amendment to a budget report that slams Pieper’s nomination, said von der Leyen “was apparently guided” by party affiliation in choosing her CDU colleague for the plum gig. Only the EPP voted against Freund’s non-binding amendment, while the ECR abstained, Giovanna Faggionato and Eddy Wax report.

Still an MEP: Pieper has yet to comment publicly on the scandal. POLITICO knocked on the door of his parliamentary office Thursday to discover he wasn’t there but that his team was still hard at work. Pieper takes up his new role at the Commission on April 16 but will remain an MEP until then. He didn’t cast a vote during the March plenary week either, according to a review of the so-called roll-call votes.

Rebels with a cause: Two of Pieper’s EPP colleagues voted against him on Freund’s amendment. One, Latvia’s Dace Melbārde, told Playbook “the reports that the position was filled despite more qualified female candidates from underrepresented states prevailing in the recruitment assessments cannot be overlooked.” The second EPP rebel was new MEP Ana Miguel dos Santos from Portugal.

Stand by your man: “There is institutional autonomy in recruitment procedures. This is a strong principle that applies to all institutions,” Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer told reporters, insisting Pieper is the best person for the job.

TOP JOBS

COSTA ‘STILL IN THE GAME’: Portugal’s ex-PM António Costa is still in the running to step into Charles Michel’s shoes as the next president of the European Council, according to two senior EU diplomats.

Rewind: Costa was widely considered a favorite for the job as he fulfilled two key conditions: being a Socialist and having served as a head of government. But after Costa resigned following an investigation into alleged corruption, critics argued that he shouldn’t be considered until he is completely absolved.

Costa forever: That concern now appears to be secondary for key EU governments, Barbara Moens writes in to report. “Of course it’s Costa,” said one EU diplomat, referring to the most likely pick for Council presidency. “The Germans back him, the French back him, everyone likes him. There is also no alternative. He’s definitely still the frontrunner.”

Prove it: Another senior diplomat insisted Costa was innocent until proven guilty, adding: “The investigation is not an obstacle.”

Nordic headwinds: But Costa may face opposition from Nordic countries which prioritize rule of law. Denmark also has another credible candidate for the job: Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. But in the fevered horse-trading that’s likely to follow the June Parliament election, the Nordics could well be persuaded to back the Portuguese politician in exchange for some other key position.

There’s another hurdle for Frederiksen: Denmark under her premiership has pursued some of the toughest immigration policies in Europe, which could make her unpopular with her Social-Democrat colleagues, Charlie Duxbury reports.

NOW HEAR THIS: Our colleagues over at the EU Confidential podcast check in on the election campaign’s state of play and conclude there’s lots of animosity brewing. Host Sarah Wheaton and her guests (POLITICO’s Elisa Braun, Eddy Wax, Clothilde Goujard and communications strategist Matteo Albania — not to mention your Playbook author) hash out the many challenges facing von der Leyen. Listen here.

**Berlin Playbook, the newest addition to POLITICO’s Playbook family, launched! Täglich informieren wir Sie darüber, was am vor Ihnen liegenden Arbeitstag wirklich zählt. Die aktuellsten Ereignisse aus Kanzleramt, Bundestag und den politischen Zentren der Welt. Mit nur einem Klick anmelden.**

MEPS DO BATTLE

GOING POSTAL OVER COMMISSION TARDINESS: Robert Roos, a right-wing MEP from the Netherlands, has lodged a complaint with the EU Ombudsman after finding that the European Commission replied late to 95 percent of MEPs’ parliamentary questions since 2019, Eddy Wax reports.

Don’t blame Bpost: “The fact that the Commission’s answers come too late and are of poor quality, is a problem for the work of the European Parliament,” Roos wrote to Emily O’Reilly in a letter dated April 4 and seen by Playbook. “Written questions are one of the primary mechanisms for parliamentary scrutiny,” the ECR group MEP added.

Biblical delays: Roos’ team analyzed some 23,000 questions sent to the Commission (a number which has more than halved in the past decade) which should have received answers within either three or six weeks, depending on their urgency. The EU executive missed its deadline on average by around 40 days, Roos wrote.

Von-delaying: The Commission took seven months to answer one of Roos’ questions about its handling of Pfizergate and the ombudsman’s finding of maladministration by the Commission, he pointed out in the letter.

NOT IMMUNE: MEPs agreed to waive German lawmaker Gunnar Beck’s immunity in a plenary vote Thursday. It came after a request by Düsseldorf’s chief public prosecutor over an alleged shoplifting incident dating from 2022. Beck told my colleague Kathryn Carlson after the vote that the allegations are “unfounded” and “it is clear” they “would have been made, were I not a member of the AfD.”

MEDIA CORNER

HUNGARY’S SHADOW HANGS OVER EURONEWS: According to an investigation by France’s Le Monde, Hungary’s Direkt36 and Portugal’s Expresso, around one third of the funding for Euronews’ move to Brussels and relaunch comes from entities linked to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

What are they trying to achieve? The investigation cites a “strictly confidential” document from the Hungarian fund behind the money which states that a key goal of financing Euronews is to “attenuate the left-wing biases of journalism.” Here’s the piece in English.

Nothing to see here: Contacted by the outlets, the head of Euronews, Guillaume Dubois, said he “sincerely did not know” the provenance of funding for his channel’s reboot, but that in any case it “has no importance” because Alpac — a Portuguese investment fund — retained sole control over the channel.

** Meet our moderators for the Maastricht Debate: Barbara Moens - Chief EU Correspondent at POLITICO and Marcia Luyten - Dutch journalist, writer, presenter, publicist and alumna of Maastricht University. Join us online as Barbara and Marcia guide us through what promises to be an informative and insightful debate. Register here **

IN OTHER NEWS

OLAF SCHOLZ’S CHINA DANCE: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz flies into China this weekend for a four-day trip, desperate to woo Beijing as his popularity at home plumbs new depths and his economy splutters. The tour is an opportunity to show voters he’ll do whatever it takes to preserve Germany, Inc., reports Matt Karnitschnig in this curtain-raiser.

UKRAINE PASSES MOBILIZATION LAW: The Ukrainian parliament voted Thursday in favor of a new law giving the government more power to mobilize society for war and punish draft-dodgers, Veronika Melkozerova reports.

GEORGIA’S FADING DREAM: Georgia is falling behind other EU candidates in the race to open accession talks, and fears are growing in Brussels that the ruling Georgian Dream party is actively derailing the process. My colleagues Gabriel Gavin and Dato Parulava have the details.

EU’S FADING GREEN AMBITIONS: A leaked EU priority list for the rest of the decade goes heavy on defense, but barely mentions climate change, my colleague Zia Weise reports. Indeed, the only mention of “environment” is a promise to create a “business-friendly environment,” Zia writes.

IRAN PLOTS REVENGE: Israel is preparing for an Iranian attack in its south or north within the next 24 to 48 hours, the Wall Street Journal reports. Tehran wants to hit Israel hard but avoid retaliation from Washington, according to an assessment by the Biden administration, my Stateside colleagues report.

MEXICO ASKS UN TO BOOT ECUADOR: Mexico’s president on Thursday called on the U.N. to suspend Ecuador over its police raid last week on the Mexican Embassy in Quito.

FRIDAY FEATURES: Robert Greenway, the former deputy assistant to the president on Trump’s National Security Council, is on this week’s Power Play podcast … And the Declassified humor column by Paul Dallison is all about the trials and tribulations of the Brazilian butt lift industry.

AGENDA

— Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Luxembourg. Doorsteps at 8 a.m. Public session at 10:10 a.m. Press conference 12:30 p.m. Watch.

— Informal meeting of telecommunications ministers in Louvain-la-Neuve. Doorsteps at 8:30 a.m. Press conference at 2:30 p.m. Watch.

— European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová in Lisbon; meets with representatives of media, civil society and stakeholders and speaks at the dialogue on democracy and youth participation.

— Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra in Berlin; meets with Economy Minister Robert Habeck, and Head of the Chancellery Wolfgang Schmidt.

— Commission Vice President Dubravka Šuica delivers a keynote speech for the high-level conference on demography in Rome.

— Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas participates in the Delphi Economic Forum.

— European Council President Charles Michel in Vienna for strategic agenda consultations.

— Ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee visit Azerbaijan. More on the visit here and here.

— Final of the European Law Moot Court competition takes place at the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg. Closing arguments at 2:45 p.m. Watch.

BRUSSELS CORNER

WEATHER: High of 20C, cloudy — and it’ll be sunny and 23C on Saturday.

BUSES DISRUPTED: Bus lines 12, 21, 56, 60, 79 will be redirected on Monday due to construction at the Schuman roundabout. Details here.

BELMONT BOMB THREAT: Police evacuated the EEAS’ Belmont building on Thursday afternoon as a result of a bomb threat, but didn’t find anything suspicious in their search.

ART PROTEST: Hundreds of protesters gathered Thursday evening to protest the Bastien Vivès exhibition at the gallery Huberty & Breyne in Ixelles. The protestors say the French comic artist glorifies incest, pedophilia and rape in his works.

SUSTAINABILITY EXHIBITION: Using bio-sourced materials, artists share their vision for solving the climate crisis. Opens today 4 p.m.

ROYAL GARDENS: The royal gardens and the greenhouses of Laeken will open to the public from April 26 to May 20 this year. Tickets here.

PUPPET THEATER RECOGNIZED: Brussels’ renowned Théâtre Royal de Toone now has a European Heritage label. Next step: UNESCO.

FOOD REVIEW: Lola Boom visits Korean restaurant Maru in Ixelles.

BIRTHDAYS: MEPs Lara Wolters, Geoffroy Didier, Jarosław Kalinowski, João Pimenta Lopes and Teuvo Hakkarainen; Belgian politician Hugues Bayet, a former MEP; George Robertson, former secretary-general of NATO; Woody Johnson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom; POLITICO’s Sophie Inge; EEAS’ Filippo Cristini; Tobias Gehrke of the European Council on Foreign Relations; Ceemet’s Delphine Rudelli.

CELEBRATING SATURDAY: European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager; Former President of European People’s Party Joseph Daul; MEPs Roman Haider, Robert Biedroń and Róża Thun; Former MEP Liliana Rodrigues; Apple’s Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska; Former Executive Director of the European Youth Parliament Pauline Chetail; European Commission’s Natasha Bertaud and Momchil Sabev; Chess grandmaster and Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation Garry Kasparov; Gabriela Bucher of the Fund for Global Human Rights; France’s Brigitte Macron.

CELEBRATING SUNDAY: MEPs Niklas Nienaß, Maxette Pirbakas and Bronis Ropė; Former MEPs Eric Andrieu and Udo Voigt; Google’s Al Verney; Council of the EU’s Charles de Marcilly; Handelsblatt’s Martin Greive; Hussein Sattaf of the European Health and Digital Executive Agency; POLITICO’s Nadia Ghebreial Nieto.

THANKS TO: Dionisios Sturis, Sarah Wheaton, Eddy Wax, Gregorio Sorgi, Giovanna Faggionato, Jacopo Barigazzi, Playbook reporter Šejla Ahmatović and producer Seb Starcevic.

CORRECTION: This newsletter was updated to correct the building evacuated as a result of a bomb threat on Thursday. It was the Belmont.

**A message from Planet: Enhance climate resilience and protect citizens from the increasing frequency of natural disasters. Predictive analytics combined with high frequency, high resolution satellite imagery arm communities against the unexpected, turning the tide on natural disasters. Enhance preparedness, mitigate impacts, and protect livelihoods with data that makes a difference. Safeguard the future, one forecast at a time. Learn more about Planet broad area management for reliable disaster mitigation and rapid response.**

Brussels Playbook