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Europe Today: EU leaders meet in Brussels for a tense, crucial EU summit
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00:14Good morning, it is Thursday the 19th of March. I'm Maeve MacMahon and you're watching Europe
00:20Today. Your daily dose of European news and analysis live here on Euronews. Coming up,
00:27EU leaders are gathering in Brussels today for their regular spring summit. On the agenda,
00:33not one but two wars, and they may be more connected than you think. As the conflict
00:38involving Iran spills across the Middle East, with dangerous escalations on all sides,
00:44the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, will also join leaders to reflect on the mounting
00:49humanitarian crisis. The message from the summit, though, is clear. This is not Europe's war,
00:55but it is affecting us, whether we like it or not. From rising energy prices to the risk of food
01:01shortages all across Africa, the global impact is already being felt. Plus, EU leaders won't
01:08be forgetting Ukraine. Now, in its fifth year of war, the country is still waiting for a billion
01:13euro loan. President Zelensky will join the talks remotely. For more, we can cross straight over to
01:18the arrival floor of the EU summit, where Euronews' correspondent Shona Murray is standing by for us
01:23this morning. Good morning, Shona. So, we're hearing the EU saying it's not getting involved
01:28in the US-Israel war on Iran. But will leaders discuss any potential support today to allow the
01:33Strait of Hormuz to return to normality?
01:38Well, good morning, Maeve. And we are shaping up for a very rancorous, a very difficult EU summit today.
01:43EU leaders will about to start trickling down the red carpet here over the next sort of half an hour
01:48or
01:48so for what will be a very late summit, which will probably drag in well into the early hours
01:53of the night. And as you mentioned there, two major items on the agenda. First of all, of course,
01:58the Iran war and the impact it's having on Europe. Now, EU leaders over the past few days have started
02:03roundly rejecting the premise of this war, saying that they weren't consulted, they're not party to
02:08the conflict. And therefore, why should they get involved? Why should they send their vessels,
02:12their sailors to help the Strait of Hormuz and the Americans and the Israelis? Take a listen to
02:17German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaking to the Bundestag yesterday.
02:23We have also made it clear that we still have many questions about this war. To date,
02:29there is no convincing concept of how this operation could succeed. Washington did not consult us and did
02:36not declare European aid necessary. Ladies and gentlemen, we would have advised against following
02:43this path, which is being currently taken. So that's Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor,
02:52obviously making the point that they don't understand the objectives of this war. They
02:56weren't consulted and they would have advised against it. And that's very interesting, mate, because
02:59you might recall a couple of weeks ago, there was a lukewarm endorsement from a lot of Western
03:04countries, particularly some of the most senior countries in the European Union, aside from Spain,
03:09that said, look, let's not lecture our allies. This is a very important thing to do, potentially to
03:14rid the world of the regime in Tehran. But now they're also looking at the impact. The impact for
03:21European economies on this war is massive. We've seen oil prices skyrocket. The impact on the cost of
03:27living crisis is huge. But the key question is, will Europe do anything to save the Americans and the
03:32Iranians and the Israelis right now? Will they send their vessels, their sailors to the Strait of
03:37Ormuz? We've heard over the past few days that this is a non-starter. There was even a discussion by
03:41the EU foreign policy chief, Kaya Callas, as to whether she could maybe do a negotiation with
03:45the Iranians to try to get European vessels through the Strait of Ormuz. And that, again,
03:50is a non-starter. But we've seen this war escalate over the past few days, in particular,
03:54the world's largest gas field being hit by strikes yesterday. So EU leaders will definitely discuss
04:00the economic impact of this war. And just briefly, Shona, Ukraine also very much on the agenda?
04:08Of course, yes. It's a major issue that will keep the EU leaders up at night. Viktor Orban,
04:13the Hungarian prime minister, has reneged on an agreement that was set before Christmas that he
04:18would endorse a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine. He's now saying he won't do that because the
04:23Ukrainians are refusing, as he says, to fix the Druzhba pipeline, which is a pipeline that gets oil
04:29from Russia through Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary. So that's going to be a major problem
04:33because Ukraine needs this money by June. Indeed. Shona Murray, thank you so much for that
04:37live update there from the EU summit, from an EU summit that once again could potentially
04:42be dominated by a veto by Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister. For more,
04:46your news is Hungarian correspondent, Chandor Zeros, is with me here on set. Good to see you,
04:51Chandor, thank you so much for being here. And we understand the EU and Ukraine have
04:54sent a team of experts to this pipeline. Could this resolve now this issue of the
04:59veto at the EU summit? Good morning, Maeve. Indeed, earlier this week,
05:03the European Commission decided to take action and try to resolve this issue. The group of experts
05:10are currently on the ground and they are expected to file a report pretty soon in order to see what
05:17does
05:17it cost and how much time it will take to repair this pipeline. But I guess this is not going
05:24to
05:24resolve the issue right now at this European summit, because Prime Minister Viktor Orban clearly said
05:29two days ago that in order to lift his veto and in order to to finance Ukraine, he needs to
05:36get the
05:36oil flowing. And this, according to Ukraine, could take up to one month. So I expect a really tough
05:43summit for Viktor Orban, a lot of fighting, but I don't think there will be a solution for this loan
05:50of Ukraine. And there is no not a plan B, so they cannot simply bypass Hungary on this.
05:55And it's tricky, isn't it, for the EU? Because, of course, Hungary is a member state, Ukraine an
05:59aspiring member state. And also, very interestingly, we have to remind our viewers, there's elections
06:04coming up on the 12th of April in Hungary. How is this issue of this kind of spat between Hungary
06:10and
06:11Ukraine playing out in the campaign, Shander? That's right. This is one of the main issues
06:15in the campaign debated right now. Because, you know, this is related to energy security, this is
06:21related to the price of the petrol, the price of the heating, cost of the living. So this is huge.
06:27And again, Prime Minister Orban is portraying himself as somebody who is fighting with Brussels,
06:34in Brussels for Hungary, and he's fighting also with Ukraine in order to secure cheap oil from
06:41Russia. This is a big issue. And according to experts that I spoke to, this could eventually
06:47help Orban boosting his support. And another thing is, since people are talking about Ukraine,
06:53they are not talking about the talking points of the opposition, which is, you know, hospitals,
06:59schools, inflation, etc. And one final thing to remind, the elections are still open. Orban could
07:06win, but he could also lose. And if he's losing, this is his last European summit, and possibly his
07:13last European veto as well. As you said, Shander, it will be a very tough summit. We'll keep a very
07:18close eye on it. Thank you so much for that update. And now, of course, although all eyes here in
07:23Brussels are focused on the politics coming out of that EU summit today, the eyes of the world are
07:29on the Middle East. In Lebanon, hundreds are reported killed and more than one million people
07:33displaced, and strikes are starting to hit energy infrastructure from Iran to Qatar. This, as
07:39President Trump warned Iran not to attack a Qatar again, or the US would, quote, massively blow up
07:44the entirety of an Iranian gas field. We can go to Dubai now, where our regional correspondent Jane
07:49Witherspoon is standing by for us. Good morning, Jane. So it's getting very ugly.
07:53And dangerous with energy sites being struck on all sides. Tell us more.
07:59That's right. Iran has ramped up its attacks on energy sites across the Middle East. It comes as
08:04the Revolutionary Guard has said this is a new era of war. Now here in the UAE, our Habshan gas
08:12facility
08:13was closed overnight due to strikes there. We're hearing similar reports across the region in Riyadh,
08:19in Saudi Arabia. And of course, this morning, we learned that several sites in Qatar, Doha had
08:25been attacked, leading to extensive damage. Now, all three countries have come out and condemned
08:31these attacks, saying it could lead to global security issues. And of course, these do come
08:36off the back of Israel attacking that south par in Iran, their largest gas field there. However,
08:43overnight as well, President Trump has come out and said he had no idea that these attacks were going
08:48to take place. He's condemned further attacks also on Iranian infrastructure.
08:54And meanwhile, Jane, Iran security chief Ali Larajani has been killed in Israeli strike. He was actually
09:00one of the most influential figures of the regime. Tell us more about that and what it could mean.
09:06Yes. Now, a lot of the top brass from that Iranian regime have been killed over the past few days.
09:11There's a statement out in the media in Iran today, supposedly from the supreme leader,
09:16Mojaba Kamanai, saying that he condemns these killings. And as you say, his top security chief
09:22was just the latest to be taken out. So he's very angry about that. Now, amidst these strikes,
09:29which are consistent through the day and night across the region, we are hearing that the Iranian
09:34people are against the regime there. And they're now taking to the streets in protest and they're
09:40coming up against security forces there.
09:42OK, Jane Witherspoon, of course, we have our Farsi desk all over that. Thank you so much
09:47for that live update there from the United Arab Emirates. Now, back here in Brussels at the EU
09:52summit, EU leaders are looking at ways to soften the blow from the war in the Middle East and also
09:57manage the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine, now entering its fifth year. Our Jakob Yanis takes
10:03a look at how both wars are very connected.
10:07Today, 27 EU leaders meet in Brussels for the European Council. The official agenda highlights
10:14competitiveness and migration. But war overshadows it all. And your reporter doesn't yet know exactly
10:20what they will be saying. But we can certainly guess what keeps them up at night. Especially as
10:26Russia's war in Ukraine and the US-Israeli war in Iran have become deeply interlinked. Let's take a look
10:32together. With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, energy and petrol costs are soaring.
10:38And because that vital waterway handles a massive share of global fertilizer shipments,
10:43it also means higher grocery prices for everyone. To ease that pressure, Trump announced last week
10:50that he is lifting some sanctions on Russian oil. The US Treasury issued a temporary permit allowing
10:56countries to purchase Russian crude currently stranded at sea. And Washington insists this only applies
11:03to already loaded cargo, strictly ruling out new trades or major financial benefits for Russia.
11:10But European leaders are strongly pushing back. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the move
11:16wrong, while Council President Antonio Costa argued it directly undermines European security by letting
11:23Moscow cash in. But here is the bitter irony. Since Trump's decision, oil prices have not drastically fallen.
11:31But European security has. This sanctions relief could hand the Kremlin a staggering 150 million dollars
11:39a day. That single day of revenue buys up to 7000 Iranian-designed shahed drones. Or could fund
11:47sign-up bonuses for 5000 new Russian soldiers. Every single day. And after bashing traditional diplomacy,
11:56Trump is disappointed Europe is not rushing to help secure the Middle East. But as EU leaders
12:02gathering Brussels just days after the Ides of March, one could say they know a political backstabbing when they see
12:10one.
12:15Jakob Ján is reporting for us there. Now, although only 27 EU leaders are in that summit physically today,
12:22some others are hoping to one day sit in there too. Like Iceland, who planned to hold a referendum
12:27on EU membership. For more, your news is Shona Murray sent down with the Foreign Minister
12:32of Iceland and started by asking her if this would be a very difficult referendum to get through.
12:38Everyone knows about Brexit and all the lies that were put on the table in that process. So, yes, it
12:48will
12:48not be an easy walk. But in the end, you know, you have to trust the nation and believe in
12:56her. And it's
12:57rather positive now. The outcome could be positive now today if we would vote. But on the other hand,
13:09you know, it's just a simple question, you know. Should we continue the negotiation talks? Yes or no?
13:17And from my point of view, if you say no, you are closing a lot of doors. Instead of saying
13:23yes,
13:24should we not continue, see what kind of negotiation and agreement we will get. If you say no,
13:30then I'm afraid that Iceland will be pretty much alone. Not quite alone, but of course we are still
13:36members of NATO and we have the EA agreement we have after. But I think our position will be
13:44not so strong as being a member of the European Union. And there, again, I come to the values we
13:51share.
13:52What do you make of the changing nature of the transatlantic relationship?
13:55If I could now criticise the European Union is that they should be with more self-esteem. You know,
14:04European Union is a superpower, you know, and they should act like a superpower, if I could say so.
14:10And you just, if you watch and recall the Greenland's agenda from the US part. It was quite clear that
14:21the
14:21European Union was a backbone for Denmark and Greenland when these statements were made on the
14:30US behalf. And I think that was beneficial for Denmark. But it was also useful for us in Iceland to
14:37see,
14:37OK, European Union and most of the countries, they can stand with other nations when they are,
14:46in a way, attacked and their sovereignty.
14:49And was that very worrying from an Icelandic point of view, what happened with Greenland? Because you're
14:58saying Iceland instead of Greenland in his speech in Davos as well.
15:01Yeah, but he meant Greenland.
15:02I know, I know, but still, I mean, Iceland at the back of his head somewhere.
15:07Yeah, somewhere, yeah, somewhere, yes. But actually, just to underline,
15:11Iceland has an excellent relationship with the US.
15:14Until it doesn't.
15:16Yes, but you know, when it comes to defensive security, I just have to underline our cooperation
15:22in that field has been increasing and has been not just encouraging, you know, it has been very useful
15:29for Iceland and I know as well for the US. So whatever people say, you know, in that field,
15:36defense and security, it's fine. And it's one of the most important pillars of our new defense and
15:43security policy. But when it comes to trade, sadly, no, their friendship is not so good as it was, you
15:51know,
15:51because we got the first 15 and then now 10 after the decision from the Supreme Court. So
16:00I think in Iceland, we are and we still will be advocating for a good transatlantic relationship.
16:07Of course, everybody is.
16:08You know, yeah, but we also have to work for it, you know. But we cannot be naive.
16:14Yeah, that's why I say it's important for Iceland to increase the pillars under the defense and
16:25security policy. Like I mentioned, there are two main pillars under our defense and security policy,
16:30being a member of NATO. And the other pillar is the defense agreement with the US since 1951. But of
16:39course, we are having bilateral agreements with countries like Finland and Germany. And we are
16:48updating our memory of understanding and defense with Canada. And of course, we are debating our
16:55collaboration with other countries. And we have to do it because in this world, in this volatile world,
17:02you see what Finland and Sweden did, they joined NATO. And they say those two pillars, EU and NATO, they
17:10are
17:10the backbone of their security. And I, of course, we in Iceland, we have to do something more that we
17:17have been doing. And that's why I, for example, I signed this security and defense partnership with
17:24EU today. When you say the EU should be acting like a superpower, you should recognize the leverage that
17:31it has. I mean, if you look at what's happening in the trade. It's humongous leverage, you know.
17:34What would you say Ursula von der Leyen should have done maybe around the issue of tariffs? Should Ireland,
17:40should the EU have played a tariff game with Trump or accepted 15%? I will not tell them what
17:46to do.
17:46You know, it's a difficult situation. What I only ask for is, in various areas, show your superpower,
17:55because together, Europe is a strong alliance. As opposed to the example of Greenland.
18:01Yeah, exactly. For the example of Greenland, there, some nations said, okay, if you're going to put
18:07tariffs on us, because we are standing with Greenland and Denmark, then we are going to put tariffs on you.
18:12And, of course, it affected the markets in the US. And that's why one of the reasons that
18:20I think the US administration responded to.
18:26Euronews' Shona Murray there is speaking to the Foreign Minister of Iceland. Now, here on Euronews,
18:31our EU summit coverage is just getting started. Our reporters will be on the ground all day. We'll have
18:36a live blog all day and night. And tonight at seven, we'll be bringing you a very special live show
18:41from
18:41the summit floor hosted by our Maria today. Also, don't miss that. But for more on how the actual
18:47summit will unfold today, we can bring in briefly again, our Shona Murray, who's on the arrivals
18:51floor for us. Anyone arrived yet, Shona? And how will the day proceed?
18:57No, no one arrived yet. As you can see, it's getting much, much busier. EU leaders will start giving their
19:02statements to their press. They'll probably obviously highlight the Iran war, their concerns about the
19:06spillover. Key on the agenda for all of them, which we get the message across that they will
19:10try to do something about spiraling energy prices. The problem is that EU member states are not agreed
19:15about how the EU should proceed in this regard. Also, we'll have President Zelenskyy of Ukraine
19:21on video call. He will be putting his point across in relation to the 90 billion euros,
19:25but also how Ukraine can help support the West in tackling Shahid drones. So it's going to be a long
19:30day. It's going to be rancorous. It's going to be difficult. And I'll probably see you here
19:33first thing in the morning in the same clothes like before.
19:36You will indeed. And actually, Shona, this summit was meant to be about competitiveness,
19:40but interesting how things have changed. As I said, stay glued to Euronews.com and Euronews
19:44TV for more coverage of that summit. Thanks for watching. Take care and see you soon.
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