The two-day Extraordinary Leaders’ Summit of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, has concluded. Following the summit, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, held a joint press conference. During the meeting, Michel stated that EU leaders decided to financially and politically support Ukraine as well as impose sanctions on Russia in order to end the war. Michel stated that they will collaborate closely with the African Union on food safety and that African countries will be supported, particularly in agricultural production.
A working group will be formed to develop alternatives to Russian fossil fuels, and that the EU’s gas and oil reserves are also higher than last year, and that the current situation will be an opportunity for the transition to renewable energy, Von der Leyen stated. She also said that the RePowerEU project, with a budget of 300 billion euros, will find a solution in energy. “An additional 200 billion Euros will be invested in defense. We will cooperate with NATO for European defense,” Leyen said. The European Defense Budget is active and that 27 countries are ready to contribute to this budget, she added.