Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels: Ukraine, Iran and the situation in the Great Lakes Region

Foreign Minister Wadephul is travelling to Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council. The EU Foreign Ministers' talks will focus on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, the situation in Iran and Syria, and the dramatic humanitarian situation in Africa's Great Lakes Region. Find out more here.

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine: Continuing support and stepping up pressure

Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's war of aggression for almost four years now. In recent weeks, Russian attacks, particularly on civilian targets, have reached a new level of violence. Amid freezing temperatures, hundreds of thousands of people in Kyiv alone continue to have no electricity or heating. In view of the tense situation in the Ukrainian energy sector, Germany is calling for rapid additional financial and defence support, including via the Ukraine Energy Support Fund. Germany increased its humanitarian assistance for Ukraine by a further 60 million euro in mid-January and is urging its EU partners follow suit.

The EU Foreign Ministers' talks will also focus on diplomatic efforts to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine. Robust security guarantees are essential to this end. Germany is committed to closely monitoring the ongoing talks among the European countries and to ensuring that decisions on the security architecture in Europe are not made without them.

Another priority is continued financial support for Ukraine. The rapid implementation and provision of the 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine agreed shortly before Christmas is key to facilitating long-term assistance. It is important to ensure that the loan is used in a flexible manner and is fully in line with Ukraine's needs. At the end of the day, Germany is committed to adopting a substantial 20th EU sanctions package against Russia on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion. The package will target, among other things, Russian energy revenues and the shadow fleet that Russia uses to circumvent oil sanctions in particular.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha will join the discussions via video link at the beginning of the meeting.

The situation in the Middle East: Assuming responsibility, promoting stability

Intensive discussions will be held at the Foreign Affairs Council about the situation in the Middle East. One focus will be on Iran, where protests by young Iranian women and men have been brutally supressed in recent weeks by the regime in Tehran. The Foreign Affairs Council will therefore adopt sanctions against those responsible for these serious human rights violations. Moreover, Germany is continuing to work to ensure that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is listed in the EU's counter-terrorism sanctions regime. The aim is to hold those responsible for the brutal suppression of protests, arbitrary killings and arrests to account.

The most recent developments in Syria are also on the agenda - in particular, the volatile security situation in the northeast of the country and the situation in prisons and camps in the region. Achieving stability without violence is also in our security interests.

With regard to Israel and the Palestinian territories, the Ministers will discuss ways to improve the humanitarian situation and implement the 20-point plan. Among other things, Germany is committed to rehabilitating key infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Germany welcomes the transition to phase II of the plan and the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza with the support of the Palestinian Authority.

Crisis in the Great Lakes Region: Curbing a humanitarian disaster and the risks of escalation

The Great Lakes Region is currently witnessing one of Africa's most severe humanitarian crises. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi are particularly affected. In the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ongoing violence by armed groups - particularly in the provinces of North and South Kivu - has led to displacement on a massive scale. Millions of people are fleeing their homes, and access to humanitarian assistance is severely restricted in many places.

At the same time, there have been considerable tensions between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, further heightening the risk of escalation in the region. Burundi is also affected by regional dynamics against the backdrop of clashes close to its borders and as a result of the influx of a large number of refugees.

Germany is working within the Foreign Affairs Council to lend its active support to the ongoing mediation efforts of the African Union. At the same time, it is advocating greater coordination within the EU via the European External Action Service in order to ensure a united political response, particularly with regard to calls for unhindered humanitarian access and respect for the territorial integrity of all countries in the region.

Keywords

• European Foreign Policy
• Russian Federation
• Ukraine
• Middle East conflict: Israel and the Palestine
• Islamic Republic of Iran
• Israel
• Palestinian territories
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Rwanda
• Burundi
• African Union
• Foreign Minister Wadephul: Travels
• Articles

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