Global Europe Brief: First EU term's train to Ukraine

Dear readers,
good afternoon from Kyiv, where EU top officials have arrived on an unannounced visit, marking their first day in office with a message of support for Ukraine.

In today’s edition:

First EU term's train to Ukraine

European Council President Antonio Costa, EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas, and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos arrived in Kyiv on Sunday (1 December) on an unannounced visit, marking their first day in office with a message of support for Ukraine.

Their joint trip comes as Russia is gaining ground and has launched heavy bombardments on the country in the past weeks, attempting to knock out energy infrastructure,

It also coincides with two key issues emerging for Europeans and Ukrainians:

First, how would US President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office in late January, proceed regarding continued Ukraine aid and whether Europe could substitute a chunk of it should Washington withdraw.

Second, amid an emerging shift regarding talks on a potential ceasefire as a prequel to future peace negotiations and under what conditions this could happen.

On the way to Kyiv, Kallas told several media outlets, including Euractiv, that Europe's backing for Ukraine should remain unrestricted and include the possibility of deploying troops in the future, to help maintain strategic ambiguity toward Russia.

→ Read the full interview here:

GEORGIA CLASHES | Georgian authorities must not use violence against those protesting a government decision to halt the country's EU membership bid until 2028, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in response to a crackdown on protestors overnight.
SERBIA TALKS | Hungary's attempt to advance the next stages of EU accession talks with Serbia faced resistance from a large majority of member states.

KOSOVO BLAST | An explosion on Friday evening damaged a canal in northern Kosovo supplying water to two coal-fired power plants that generate nearly all of the country's electricity, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said, blaming what he called "a terrorist act" by neighbouring Serbia.

NEW APPROACH | As incoming European Council President António Costa takes over from incumbent Charles Michel, his first main task will be to reform an ailing institutional set-up.

LAST WORDS | Increasing divergence within EU institutions regarding who speaks on foreign and security policy is becoming unviable, and it's necessary to find a way forward based on unity, the EU's outgoing top diplomat, Josep Borrell, told Euractiv in his last interview before leaving office.

EU PREPAREDNESS | Amid a growing threat of war and natural catastrophes, the EU must finally become crisis-proof by leveraging additional spending and following the Niinistö Report, Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin told Euractiv.

EDIP FUNDS | EU countries have proposed a loosening of the eligibility criteria for the use of the bloc's funds in defence production and purchasing.

EU PREPAREDNESS | Amid a growing threat of war and natural catastrophes, the EU must finally become crisis-proof by leveraging additional spending and following the Niinistö Report, Swedish Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin told Euractiv.

EDIP FUNDS | EU countries have proposed a loosening of the eligibility criteria for the use of the bloc's funds in defence production and purchasing.

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