Eyeing Trump, EU leaders wrestle with Ukraine and Syria

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, DEC 19 (AFP/APP/DNA):The approaching spectre of Donald Trump looms over EU leaders Thursday as they grapple with how to strengthen Ukraine’s hand at their last summit before the US president-elect reclaims power.

The upheaval in Syria after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad, and how to deal with the new leadership, has also shot up the agenda for the gathering.

But officials still expect the talks to focus largely on how best to prepare Kyiv, and the European Union itself, for the volatile Republican’s second term.

Before attending the summit, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky held a conclave Wednesday in Brussels with NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders.

Trump moves into the White House next month having pledged to bring a swift end to a conflict that NATO says has left over one million dead and wounded since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

EU leaders — keen not to be left on the sidelines — are scrambling to come up with their own plans as fears swirl that Trump could pull US support for Kyiv and force it to make painful concessions to Moscow.

Discussions have begun between some capitals over the potential deployment of European troops in Ukraine to secure any eventual ceasefire.

But European officials say the talks Thursday will concentrate on what can be done now to bolster Kyiv — rather than second-guessing Trump’s actions.

Western backers are seeking to shore up Ukraine’s forces as Kyiv’s fatigued troops are losing ground across the frontline and North Korean soldiers have reinforced Moscow on the battlefield.

Zelensky said he wanted to talk about “security guarantees for Ukraine, for today and for tomorrow” as he called for more air defences and weaponry.

“Europe needs a strong, united position to ensure lasting peace,” he said.

But it is not just Ukraine that is bracing for Trump, with the EU itself fretting about his impact and threats of trade tariffs.

Leaders are set to debate the 27-nation bloc’s “place in world”, with a plea expected for them to maintain unity in the face of the new US president.

– New Syria –

While the conflict in Ukraine remains top of mind, the collapse of Assad’s brutal rule in Syria also presents major opportunities — and uncertainty.

European nations — along with other international players — are jostling for influence in the war-torn country after the end of the Assad family’s five-decade domination.

But they are wary of the new authorities spearheaded by Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has its roots in Al-Qaeda and is listed as a “terrorist” organisation by some Western governments.

Diplomats say the leaders will seek to stake out a stance on how quickly they move to embrace nascent authorities in Damascus, with some countries like Italy pressing to act fast.

The EU has said it stands ready to ramp up support for Syria — but has laid out a raft of conditions the new authorities must respect.

Those include protecting minorities, overseeing an inclusive transition and shunning extremism.

Shuttering Russian bases in the country that key Assad ally Moscow used to project its power in the Middle East could also be on that list.

The EU imposed punishing economic sanctions on swathes of the Syrian economy as Assad pursued his brutal civil war.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday the bloc should now consider lifting those measures.

“Europe has leverage in Syria and we should use it, so that the power can go back to the people of Syria,” she said.

Many EU states see the events in Syria through the prism of migration — and the impact on stemming, or reversing, the flow of arrivals.

Since Assad’s ouster a string of governments have suspended processing asylum requests from Syria, and Austria said it would look to start sending people back.

For now though, the word from Brussels is not to rush.

“UN agencies tell us that risks remain for both individuals and ethnic groups,” said von der Leyen.

“So while all refugees have the right to return, this has to be voluntary, safe and dignified.”