Nicosia, Cyprus. The war in Ukraine is set to dominate discussions on Monday as the European Union’s 27 defence ministers gather in Nicosia for an informal meeting of the European foreign affairs council in its defence configuration. Maritime security, developments in the Middle East and continued support for Ukraine are the main issues on the agenda.
Agenda for talks
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said on arrival in the Cypriot capital that the meeting would focus on three main topics: maritime security, developments in the Middle East and continued support for Ukraine.
She said participants would also review the EU’s naval operations in the Middle East and that new sanctions concerning Iran linked to freedom of navigation and maritime security were being implemented for the first time.
Ukraine and Russia’s shadow fleet
On the war in Ukraine, Kallas said ministers would discuss efforts to tackle Russia’s “shadow fleet”, a flotilla of hundreds of oil and gas tankers used by Moscow to bypass western sanctions and export energy supplies.
She said the EU’s naval operations had recently expanded their rules of engagement and begun boarding vessels.
“The idea is also to exchange best practices between member states and curb Russia’s activities,” she said.
Defence funding and negotiations
Support for Ukraine is also expected to feature prominently, with ministers set to discuss efforts to further mobilise funding through the European peace facility, an off-budget EU fund established to finance military and defence actions.
Asked about prospects for negotiations to end the war, Kallas said both Russia and Ukraine would eventually have to engage in talks, while stressing that pressure on Moscow must continue.
“We have to do everything so that Russia and Ukraine will talk to each other because eventually they have to agree,” she said. “At the same time, we need to keep our core European security interests in mind.”
Defence industry cooperation
Kallas also highlighted cooperation between Ukraine’s defence industry and European manufacturers, particularly in drone technology, saying the bloc should build on Ukrainian expertise rather than “reinvent the wheel”.