FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE – President Nikos Christodoulides is in Brussels to participate in the extraordinary European Council Summit, focusing on developments in Ukraine.
EU leaders will discuss the situation in Ukraine during their midday summit, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joining online.
Following the summit, a working lunch will address issues related to EU defense and the need for greater strategic autonomy.
Yesterday, Christodoulides, while touring the UN Green Line line in old Nicosia with the Dutch royal couple, emphasized the importance of making decisions to achieve EU strategic autonomy.
He also expressed satisfaction with recent announcements by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Christodoulides noted that instructions have been given to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the Secretariat dealing with European programs to explore how Cyprus can benefit from the lending package. He highlighted that Cyprus has maintained fiscal discipline, with public debt at 68% and trending downward.
MACRON DEFENSE
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he has decided to open strategic discussions with European allies on potential nuclear protection.
“Responding to the historic call of the future German chancellor, I have decided to open a strategic debate on the protection of our allies in Europe through our (nuclear) deterrent,” Macron said in a televised address.
Speaking on Europe’s defense and Ukraine, he emphasized that France’s nuclear deterrent has played a role in maintaining peace and security in Europe.
On Ukraine, Macron asserted that the country has “the right to peace and security for itself, and it is in the interest of the European continent’s security.” He stressed the need to ensure that any future peace, once achieved, is sustainable.
“This will certainly require long-term support for the Ukrainian army and could potentially involve deploying European forces,” he said.