Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2021-22
UPN Alm.del Bilag 203
Offentligt
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European Council
The President
Brussels, 23 March 2022
Dear colleagues,
Our European Council on 24 and 25 March will start with a session on Thursday at
4:30 pm with the participation of President Biden. Together we will address Russia's
ongoing military aggression against Ukraine.
After the traditional exchange with the President of the European Parliament, we will
pursue our exchange on Ukraine in a subsequent session, where we will be joined
virtually by President Zelensky.
As the war progresses, we are seeing Russia increasingly attack the civilian population
and target hospitals, schools and shelters. These war crimes must stop immediately.
Those responsible, and their accomplices, will be held to account in accordance with
international law.
In our meeting, we will discuss how to best support Ukraine in these dramatic
circumstances. The Ukrainian people have bravely stepped up to defend their country.
But humanitarian needs within Ukraine are growing dramatically. And millions have had
to flee their homes and leave their loved ones behind. We must continue to provide
humanitarian, political, financial and material support to Ukraine. We will also examine
the specific support we can offer Ukrainian refugees and their hosts.
Sanctions are one of the main tools at our disposal to exert pressure on Russia to change
its course of action. So far, we have adopted some of the strongest measures ever against
Russia and Belarus. Along with our international allies, we have shown a united front.
We must now ensure that these sanctions are not circumvented. We stand ready to move
quickly on further coordinated sanctions.
Against this backdrop, our meeting will also be the occasion to prepare for the EU-China
summit, to be held on 1 April 2022, where the war in Ukraine will be the main topic.
A further foreign policy issue I would like us to address is the political crisis in Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 175 - B-1048 Bruxelles/Brussel - Belgique/België
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/european-council/
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 UPN, Alm.del - 2021-22 - Bilag 203: Hyrdebrev fra formanden for Det Europæiske Råd forud for møde i Det Europæiske Råd den 24.-25. marts 2022
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The war in Ukraine also gives rise to various challenges for us within the EU, not least in
terms of our energy policy. At our meeting in Versailles, we agreed to phase out our
dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible. We must now take
immediate action to safeguard our energy supply for the coming winter. I would also like
us to urgently tackle how, in the weeks and months to come, we can ease the pressure of
high energy prices on our citizens and businesses.
Our European Council meeting will be an occasion to strengthen our Single Market,
which continues to be our primary asset for sustainable growth, job creation and for
accelerating our green and digital transitions. Addressing rising food prices and ensuring
food security within our Single Market is also a critical issue for us to tackle.
During our discussions on Security and Defence, I expect us to endorse the
Strategic Compass, which sets out a security and defence perspective for the next
decade.
And lastly, on COVID-19, I would like us to briefly take stock of the latest coordination
efforts to combat the pandemic.
I look forward to seeing you in Brussels.
Charles MICHEL
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