Accusations from Moscow, mixed signals from Washington and discord in Europe reigned as another summit unfolded in Brussels.
As tensions around the war in Ukraine simmered, European leaders have gathered in Brussels from early on March 20 for talks that may stretch into the night.
They have started summit talks on defence and the economy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was set to brief European Union leaders on his recent call with US President Donald Trump.
Russia accuses EU of militarisation
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused Europe of militarising instead of seeking peace. He claimed EU policies contrasted with Moscow and Washington’s supposed commitment to ending the conflict in Ukraine, reported Russian news agency TASS.
EU warns of Russian disinformation
“Russia rewrites history in real time, and when the headlines have been printed and the seeds of doubt sown, the damage is done,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Kaja Kallas on 19 March in a keynote speech warning of Russian and Chinese foreign information manipulation (FIMI).
She highlighted Russia’s large-scale digital infrastructure and “State-controlled propaganda”. The EU has documented more than 18,000 cases of pro-Kremlin disinformation, Kallas said.
EU sanctions have also been imposed on more than 50 individuals and multiple media outlets “under full editorial control of a government waging an illegal war in Europe”.
Yet Russia’s investment in its information war has far exceeded the EU’s countermeasures, said Kallas.
Russia’s accusations vs EU’s warnings
As Russia claimed the EU was escalating militarisation, European officials argued Moscow itself was engaged in a different form of warfare — disinformation.
Peskov’s accusations of Europe fuelling conflict contrasted with arguments presented by Kallas that Russia actively spread misleading narratives to weaken Western resolve.
On 18 March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s priority was halting hostilities. This did not translate to a success as, after a call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow refused a full 30-day ceasefire and launched drone attacks on Kyiv, directly contradicting Russia’s public statements about seeking a peaceful resolution
Summit on Ukraine and European defence
EU Leaders planned on assessing €138.2 billion in aid to Ukraine, including €49.3 billion in military support. Discussions were set to centre on ensuring Ukraine’s strength in negotiations and Europe’s future defence strategy.
The summit also followed the European Commission’s White Paper on European Defence.
Ceasefire and transatlantic uncertainty
The summit followed Trump’s apparent diplomatic shift towards Moscow, which unsettled EU leaders. A temporary 30-day ceasefire has been put in place but Putin has only agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure while demanding a full stop to Western military aid to Kyiv.
This has further complicated the EU’s attempts to balance military projects with diplomatic efforts, as tensions with both the US and Russia have been rising.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was set to address the summit via video link. Talks were expected to continue until March 21.
