European Union (E.U.) leaders struck a despairing tone in Brussels on Friday as they called for the world’s community to focus on helping Ukraine against Russia’s invasion as Middle East turmoil steals away global attention.
AFP reports the discussion on Ukraine was taking place on the second day of a European summit after the first day was dominated by coming up with a unified E.U. position on the Israel-Hamas war.
“It’s really important that one of the outcomes of this meeting is that we don’t lose focus on Ukraine because of all the other things that are happening in the world and not least in the Middle East,” Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said on arrival.
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar talks to the press ahead of European Council meeting as the leaders of the E.U. member states gather to discuss the unfolding situation in the Middle East in Brussels, Belgium on October 26, 2023. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
“It would be very easy to lose focus on the war in Ukraine and essential that we don’t do that,” he said.
After hours of wrangling, the leaders late Thursday issued a demand for “humanitarian corridors and pauses” so aid can get into Gaza and for access to trapped civilians there, including hundreds of E.U. passport holders.
Discussion on Ukraine, which has been a top agenda item for E.U. summits since Russia invaded in February last year, was mostly pushed into Friday, even as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called in during Thursday’s session.
