Image reproduced from 風傳媒

On the 26th and 27th of October, leaders from the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) convened in Belgium for a summit where they unanimously agreed to extend the sanctions against Russia for an additional six months, reinforcing their support for Ukraine. This decision came in response to NATO's call for increased defense spending. The EU also announced plans to boost European defense expenditures and enhance cooperation in order to accelerate the production capacity of priority defense industries.

This summit followed closely after the NATO summit. EU leaders gathered in Brussels to discuss the situation in the Middle East, intensifying pressure on Russia, and issues related to U.S. tariffs. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky participated in the meeting via video link, expressing his anticipation for continued EU support.

During the meeting, the leaders agreed to extend sanctions against Russia for six months, which means that the comprehensive sanctions imposed by the EU will continue at least until early 2026. This includes the ongoing freezing of assets worth over 200 billion euros (approximately 6.8 trillion New Taiwan dollars) held by the Russian central bank.

Despite the EU's commitment to ensuring that existing sanctions remain in place, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico rejected the approval of further sanctions, citing Slovakia's divergent position on the EU's plan to completely halt imports of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027.

In terms of assisting Ukraine, the majority of EU leaders agreed to provide additional air defense systems, anti-drone technologies, and ammunition, and to continue supporting Ukraine's defense industry to strengthen the defensive capabilities and production capacities of the Kyiv authorities.

Additionally, the EU reached consensus on defense and security issues, planning to significantly increase European defense spending and encouraging joint investments through financing, budgets, and industrial policies to promote the defense economy.

The EU emphasized the need to accelerate the production capacity of priority areas in the defense industry and to align with NATO security requirements. It also encouraged member states to utilize the EU's joint procurement financing mechanism for arms purchases.

The outcomes of the summit reiterated the importance of strengthening security cooperation with likeminded partners, including welcoming the signing of a security and defense partnership agreement with the United Kingdom and Canada.