Latin American countries push back on Ukraine, EU agenda ahead of joint summit
Central and Latin American countries threw cold water on the EU’s efforts to rally the continent’s support for Ukraine and called for colonial reparations in a counter-proposal of an upcoming EU summit draft declaration, seen by EURACTIV.
Heads of state and governments of 33 countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) are expected to travel to Brussels on 17-18 July for a summit with their EU counterparts.
Ahead of the landmark summit, however, the countries sent a 21-page counter-proposal to the draft text EU member states had sent them last month, dated 4 July and seen by EURACTIV.
Ukraine support as irritant
The initial EU-proposed summit declaration text had included several paragraphs on support for Ukraine, referencing the UN General Assembly’s resolutions, three people familiar with the document said.
“The text on Ukraine was very balanced,” one EU diplomat told EURACTIV. “There is nothing special about anything we sent them,” a second EU diplomat added.
However, Latin American countries “deleted everything about Ukraine”, a third EU diplomat complained after seeing the counter-proposal.
Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Europeans have been firm in saying that post-war peace should be built according to Kyiv’s parameters, which the CELAC proposal does not mention.
According to the modified declaration text, the EU and CELAC members would together “advocate for serious and constructive diplomatic solutions to the current conflict in Europe, by peaceful means, which guarantees the sovereignty and security of us all, as well as regional and international peace, stability and security”.
“It is crucial that the joint declaration should refer to a shared commitment to all principles enshrined in the Charter of the UN, including respect to territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the need to condemn Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” a fourth EU diplomat told EURACTIV.
The counterproposal is expected to be discussed by EU ambassadors in their meeting on Friday (7 July) where member states are expected to discuss how much they are willing to compromise on language in an effort to salvage a draft communiqué being ready for the summit in two weeks.
“The initial reaction was somewhat expected – now the real negotiations start. But we will work hard to have a declaration,” a fifth EU diplomat said.
“But we also have to take into account the possibility that the summit might end without any joint declaration,” a sixth EU diplomat quipped. Another one echoed that sentiment.
An additional irritant ahead of the joint summit was back and forth around the attendance of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy, who initially received an invitation from Spain – but was dropped after pushback from Latin American leaders.
https://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/leak-latin-american-countries-push-back-on-ukraine-eu-agenda-ahead-of-joint-summit/