00:00Wszystkie prawa zastrzeżone.
00:30EU leaders are in Brussels this Thursday and Friday for what's being dubbed a make-it-or-break-it summit.
00:36From saving face on Ukraine to stopping the Mercosur trade deal from falling off a cliff,
00:42big decisions on key issues will have to be made today.
00:45Ahead of these talks, the Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen warned of a new international order in a world full of predators.
00:52For more on why this December summit is so crucial for the EU,
00:56we can cross straight over to the EU Council building where Euronews' correspondent Shona Murray is standing by for us
01:01on the very red carpet where leaders are arriving.
01:05Good morning Shona, tell us what is up for discussion today and why is this summit so important?
01:11Well, good morning Maeve. As you mentioned there, just behind me here on the red carpet,
01:16we'll have EU leaders from all EU countries, all 27 member states.
01:20They'll be joined by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for what could be the most historic,
01:26the most consequential EU leaders meeting of all time.
01:29What's at stake? What's at the agenda?
01:31Well, what's on the agenda is funding, urgent funding for Ukraine for the next two years.
01:36What's on the agenda? Whether or not to utilise 210 billion euros of frozen Russian state assets to pay for that.
01:44Now, EU leaders will be discussing this.
01:46They're basically saying that why should Europe be paying for the Russian invasion of Ukraine?
01:52185 billion euros of those Russian assets are here in Euroclear in the Belgian repository.
01:57And the Belgian government is very concerned about the unintended consequences for this.
02:02Legal ramifications, the threat to Euroclear, the threat to their credibility as a financial services hub.
02:09So basically the majority of EU countries would like this to pass, in particular the German government.
02:14But the Belgians need to be reassured.
02:16What I've heard is that EU leaders won't be leaving here until there is a solution.
02:21Maeve?
02:22And what if there is no solution? What if there is no deal?
02:27Well, what we're hearing is it's the only game in town.
02:30There had been other options, but they require unanimous support.
02:34There is no unanimous support for any other agreement.
02:37This use of frozen Russian state assets required unanimous support.
02:42So we could see that materialise.
02:44But what we've heard from the president of the European Council, President Antonio de Costa, he's basically saying that we will be here for Thursday, for Friday, for Saturday, until there is a deal.
02:54Because, as we'd also heard from Chancellor Mertz, the EU's credibility on the line really is on the line.
03:00The future of the European Union is on the line.
03:02Europe can't be seen to allow itself to be used by Russia.
03:06And they need to use the leverage of these frozen Russian assets to pay for Ukraine, to show that Europe means business, that Europe has leverage, and Europe has skin in the game.
03:15So we could be here for the next 24 hours.
03:17I could be talking to you from this exact space with the same clothes on, because there may be no deal.
03:22But, honestly, what we're hearing is EU leaders will say until there is one.
03:26Okay, Shona Murray, whatever happens, you'll report it for us.
03:29Thank you so much for that live update from the red carpet.
03:33And as Shona said there, President Zelensky will be physically attending today's gathering, and the stakes could not be higher, in fact, for Ukraine's president.
03:40He's under brutal pressure of late to concede territory to Russia.
03:44For more on President Zelensky's expectations for today's summit, I'm joined here in the studio by our Ukraine correspondent.
03:50That is, of course, Sasha Vakilina.
03:52Good morning, Sasha.
03:52Tell us, what are the expectations of President Zelensky today in Brussels?
03:56As you said, the stakes could not have been high.
03:58In fact, the confirmation that Zelensky is going to be in town came just a few hours before the meeting, and he will be there a little bit later compared to the other leaders.
04:07Now, he said himself that the outcome of the meeting and the result that Europe produces must make Russia feel that its desire to continue Russia's war against Ukraine next year is pointless,
04:19because Ukraine will have the support.
04:22Now, when it comes to this support, the one that Kyiv now needs, this is, of course, a few pillars.
04:27The security measures are needed.
04:28He said financial measures are needed, including actions on Russian assets.
04:33Political measures are needed.
04:34And the courage of all partners is required.
04:38And he also said that these rests entirely with Europe, and Europe must make this choice.
04:43Also, of course, after the first time, a couple of days ago, we saw those commitments from the European leaders that they put on paper promising to support Ukraine.
04:51And what happens to Ukraine if EU leaders do not find a deal over the next two days or three days in Brussels?
04:57Ukraine will struggle with financing its military needs and financial needs.
05:02The first next injection is needed as soon as next April, May.
05:06And this is the second time when the Europeans are trying to make this decision on Russian frozen assets.
05:10Now, we heard also from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who pointed out the importance of today's decision when he said we intend to use Russian assets to finance the armed forces of Ukraine for at least two more years.
05:25This step is not about prolonging the war, but about bringing the war to an end as soon as possible.
05:32This is, of course, the argument to all those critics who are speaking against using Russian frozen assets.
05:38But at the same time, it's a great indicator of the fact that the European leaders, including Merz, are not expecting Russia to stop any time soon.
05:45Indeed.
05:45Sasha Vakilina, thank you so much for that update.
05:48Well, ahead of the High Stakes Summit taking place today, a number of political groups have been meeting together for breakfast in various locations across Brussels.
05:57Our EU News Editor, Maria Tadeo, has joined the European People's Party pre-summit gathering, which is taking place in the Sofitel Hotel here in the EU quarter of Brussels.
06:06Good morning, Maria.
06:07So it's a historic day for the EU.
06:09There's no more time to postpone key decisions.
06:12What are you hearing there where you are?
06:16Well, good morning.
06:17And yes, there is no more time because this is the big one.
06:19Big decisions will have to be made from Ukraine to international trade deals.
06:24And whichever way they go, they will have consequences for the European Union.
06:28The European People's Party, of course, is meeting right before the summit starts.
06:32We have seen the head of the European Commission already here.
06:35And now to debrief what you say could be and will be a make-or-break moment for the European Union, I'm very happy to say we are joined by Luxembourg's Prime Minister, Luke Freedom.
06:44Sir, thank you very much for joining us on Euronews.
06:48I want to start with a question that may seem trivial, but on a day like today, it's important.
06:53How are you feeling?
06:54Nervous?
06:54Anxious?
06:55Concerned?
06:55No, you can't be nervous if you are a prime minister.
06:58I think what matters is that we stay focused on our objective, and that is to provide Ukraine with necessary financial means to survive in this war, because it's a war against Ukraine.
07:09It's a war that jeopardizes everything that we have built up after the Second World War.
07:14Borders cannot be changed by force.
07:16And so we want to support Ukraine.
07:18And we are looking for the means to continue on a sustainable path to support Ukraine.
07:24You just said something incredibly important, which is this is not just about Ukraine, but it's really about the future and the fate of Europe after the Russian invasion.
07:33What happens if today there's no solution?
07:35Would you argue Europe will also be in jeopardy?
07:39No, I don't think so, but I think we will find a solution.
07:41We have two options on the table to support financially Ukraine.
07:45One is to use funds out of the EU budget or to make sure that the assets, sovereign assets of Russia that are with European banks can be used to guarantee a loan to Ukraine.
07:59This is extremely complex because it has never been done in the past, but I think we can find ways to organize that in a way that makes sure that it works without jeopardizing also the financial stability of the eurozone and making sure that Belgium, where most of those assets are located in Euroclear, will not be the target of retaliation measures or court cases in the future.
08:25And who's the biggest headache today?
08:27Because a lot will depend on Giorgio Menoni and Italy.
08:31Is it Orban today the biggest headache or maybe do we find ourselves in a strange situation where it's actually the Italian prime minister that you need to convince?
08:37We need to be supportive of Belgium, which is the main place where these sovereign assets are located.
08:46And I believe that if we take European decisions, we need to bear the consequence also together.
08:52We need to do some risk sharing here.
08:54And that is why I think we need to support Belgium and we need to find a group of countries that share the same risks.
09:03We should all support them, but we know that some countries are more favorable to Russia than others.
09:08Unity is also essential.
09:10We need to work for unity.
09:11We need to discuss the future of Europe and security architecture of Europe.
09:16That is what is at stake.
09:17And I think that all countries, including those that you have mentioned, see that risk for the future.
09:22So you think the Belgian prime minister will be supported?
09:25You see him coming around because he's played a very tough game.
09:28I talked to him on many occasions, including yesterday, and I think we are moving into the right direction, but it will remain extremely complex.
09:37This is, as I said, from a legal point of view, this is extremely difficult because we don't want to do a confiscation of assets because we need to keep the rule of law.
09:47Financial stability also means that assets that are in Europe cannot be taken away by a political decision.
09:54On the other hand, we must find a way either to use EU funds, so the EU budget, or to use Russian assets to guarantee for the future the loans that we are giving to Ukraine.
10:06And that is a complex discussion that we will have to have, but I'm optimistic that we find a solution.
10:11And you spoke with the Belgian prime minister, which is very on brand for the Benelux.
10:15What does your political instinct say?
10:18Is this something that he can come around and find a solution?
10:20How did you find this conversation? Constructive?
10:23Of course. I mean, Belgium is a country that is used to many compromises, but this is a compromise among all of us.
10:29Europe is a group of 27 countries, and we need to gather to find solutions.
10:35It's about the future of our continent.
10:36It's about whether we want a continent where force decides on how the future is decided or whether it's in a peaceful manner.
10:45And we want a peaceful manner.
10:46We know that we need to be more sovereign because America might not be there with us on all steps in the future.
10:53We have Russia, which is a permanent threat.
10:55And it's as a European Union for peace, prosperity and security that we need to stand together today.
11:01And Prime Minister, I must ask you a final question, because along those lines of new relations that may emerge and new bridges that the European Union needs,
11:09is the Mercosur, a major trade deal with Latin American countries.
11:12The French say they want to delay to this vote.
11:14It seems the Italians too now.
11:16What happens if this gets delayed again?
11:18Will you be furious, disappointed? Is this the end of it?
11:21If borders around us are being closed or tariffs are being introduced, we need new markets.
11:26And I think Mercosur, like other free trade agreements, serve our economy, create jobs in our countries because we produce goods that we need to export somewhere.
11:36And that is why, independent of when we sign, we should stick to what we have agreed to with other countries.
11:42And Mercosur is one of the examples, despite the fact that we need to take into account, of course, the concerns of our farmers.
11:49But that we can solve domestically or within Europe, at the same time opening markets for our industries in the rest of the world.
11:57Well, Prime Minister, thank you very much for joining us on Euronews.
12:00Of course, the coverage of this very important summit continues all day on Euronews.
12:05Thank you so much, Maria.
12:07Today we are Euronews's EU editor and, of course, to your guest, the Luxembourg Prime Minister, Luc Frieden.
12:11Now, how long the EU summit will last?
12:13It's another big question on our mind.
12:15We're hearing the Danish ambassador has cancelled Christmas to make sure a deal for Ukraine is sealed.
12:20But beyond the politics of these EU summits, the logistics are also quite something.
12:24Our Jakub Janus has been taking a look at the behind the scenes.
12:30It's the most wonderful time of the year, but perhaps for a different reason.
12:37Today we start the final European Council summit of 2025.
12:42Topics include enlargement, the EU budget and support for Ukraine.
12:48Or, to put it simply, love, money and war.
12:53Rumour has it only the sharpest students can tell the difference between the Council of the EU,
12:59the Council of Europe, and today's suspect, the European Council.
13:04And I am sure you know it.
13:07But let's have a recap.
13:08Today's summit runs for two days.
13:14Inside, they will need 30 chairs.
13:1727 for national leaders, plus three special seats for Antonio Costa, Ursula von der Leyen and Kaya Callas.
13:26We have 24 official languages.
13:28This creates over 500 possible language combinations.
13:33In reality, most negotiations happen in English, even though the English have left the building.
13:41Finally, up to a thousand journalists, including us, attend the summit.
13:46That makes for roughly 33 reporters chasing every single leader.
13:51This week, the noise isn't just inside.
13:56A major farmer's protest is waiting outside.
14:00A megaphone hits 110 decibels.
14:04Or about as loud as a chainsaw.
14:07So our leaders will definitely hear them.
14:10Let us see if they can also listen.
14:13Well, here at Euronews, we've been listening to the farmers since 5am this morning,
14:22letting off fireworks and honking the horns of their tractors.
14:25They're, of course, protesting against the EU Mercosur trade deal.
14:28For more on that and all the news coming out of the EU summit,
14:31do keep an eye on our live blog on Euronews.com.
14:33Thanks for tuning in.
14:34See you again tomorrow on Europe Today.
14:36We'll see you again tomorrow on Europe Today.
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