"Europe has changed under the influence of the pandemic and will change faster and stronger, because of the war," French President Emmanuel Macron said today, addressing an informal summit of European leaders in Versailles.
The war in Ukraine will lead the "27" to take "historic decisions" to "completely redefine the architecture of our Europe," he added, hoping to take decisions on energy "and maybe agriculture" by the end of March. But "decisions should also be taken on defence", at an extraordinary summit to be organised on this subject, probably in May.
Emmanuel Macron also said that European Union countries should agree on the pace at which they will wean themselves off Russian fossil fuels.
On Ukraine's request for "fast-track" EU membership, the French president said he believed it was "unrealistic" to open accession negotiations with a country in a state of war.
Macron added that he did not see a diplomatic solution to the war in the coming hours or days, adding that "the conditions set by Putin for a ceasefire are not acceptable to anyone."
"There are no fast-track procedures" for EU membership, Dutch prime minister says
It is important that Ukraine has applied to join the European Union, but there is no fast-track accession process, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, arriving at the informal summit of EU leaders in Versailles.
Ukraine applied for EU membership shortly after Russia invaded its territory two weeks ago.
Source.gr
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