EU foreign ministers discuss Ukraine’s EU membership, food security

BRUSSELS

The meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers started on Monday in Luxemburg.

“The discussion will mostly focus on Ukraine’s EU membership application since leaders have to take a historic decision that also signals our values,” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told reporters on the way to the meeting.

Following the recommendation of the European Commission issued last week, EU leaders are expected to evaluate whether to grant EU candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova at their summit on June 23-24.

“It is a political and strategical must to support Ukraine,” Colonna asserted, adding that the bloc should send a “clear and unified” message to the country about its European perspective.

The EU foreign ministers will also address the global food security that has been put in danger by “Russia’s choice to start a war on Ukraine,” she said.

“Russia must stop playing with world hunger,” she added.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also stressed that “millions of people are suffering from hunger” in other parts of the world because the Russian army destroys crops and blocks the shipping of Ukrainian ships transporting grains.

“This is a real war crime,” Borrell stated.

He said he “can’t imagine that this situation will last long” and asserted that UN talks on opening transport corridors “are advancing.”

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Soukry will also join his EU counterparts for a part of the negations on food security.

Denmark's top diplomat Jeppe Kofod will also officially hand over a letter signaling the country’s intention to renounce its opt-out and join the bloc’s common foreign and security policy.

Under the topic of other current affairs, the EU ministers will also discuss the situation in the Horn of Africa, the Gulf, Türkiye, and Colombia.