Welcome to Euractiv’s Global Europe Brief, your weekly update on the EU from a global perspective. You can subscribe to receive our newsletter here.
Dear readers, good morning this Sunday!
We're back from a week in Kyiv, where the upbeat mood after the Kursk offensive, is slowly making way for concerns over winter preparedness and worries about Western support wobbling.
In today’s edition:
- A closer look at Ukraine's challenge to secure energy infrastructure before winter
- New NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's first week in office
- An exclusive interview with Georgia's President Zourabishvili, on her expectations for the country's landmark elections
As Russia intensifies its attacks, Ukraine faces a critical battle to keep the lights on this winter, which officials warn could be the toughest since the start of Russia’s war on the country.
Russia has so far destroyed up to 90% of the country's thermal generation capability, along with damage to a large number of distribution substations and several hydroelectric power plants, according to Ukraine's largest private energy company, DTEK.
In a best-case scenario calculated by the energy provider, Ukraine would face an average of five hours a day without electricity this winter - if there are no further attacks and temperatures do not go below -15C.
→ Read our dispatch below:
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WIDER EUROPE
RAMSTEIN PUSH | Ukraine will present its 'victory plan' to Western partners during a Ramstein meeting in Germany next weekend, the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday.The talks are expected to be a test of support for Kyiv's vision of ending the war with Russia, ahead of a harsh winter that could see what experts fear to be even more substantial strikes on the country's civilian and energy infrastructure.
Speaking ahead of the country's decisive parliamentary election on 20 October, Zourabishvili said she is confident pro-European forces will prevail.
MOLDOVA ELECTIONS | With less than two weeks to go until Moldova's decisive polls, pro-Kremlin forces are accused of meddling in the country's upcoming presidential election by paying off tens of thousands of voters in a sweeping plot to derail Chisinau's bid for closer EU ties; police officials said this week.
Criminal groups with Russian backing were intent on disrupting Moldova's presidential election, including attempts to seize government buildings.
EU IN THE WORLD
LEBANON WOES | As Europeans scramble to find a unified response to the escalating tensions in the Middle East, the failure to publish a joint statement on Lebanon has yet again laid bare disagreements between EU member states vis-à-vis Israel this week.DEFENCE BRIEFING
RUTTE TAKES NATO I When Dutchman Mark Rutte took over NATO’s secretary-general post this week, his first five tasks may be unsurprising, but they will not be easy to navigate.Rutte's first steps in office were to urge NATO members to increase defence spending and an unannounced visit to Kyiv, where he reassured Ukrainians of continued support but did not provide a clear answer to their key asks.
EDIP LATEST I According to a draft document of the amended text of the European Defence Industrial Programme (EDIP) seen by Euractiv, member states are not convinced that the EU can scale up production to be sufficiently prepared for war.
An opinion by the Court of Auditors, meanwhile, advises better targeting of available money, higher scrutiny of profits and vigilance against corruption in Ukraine in the upcoming EU defence industry regulation.
AGENCY ADVISORY I The European Defence Agency (EDA) will advise the European Investment Bank (EIB) on investment priorities, which they agreed to in a new memorandum.
WHAT ELSE WE’RE READING
- A Hedgehog In Russia’s Throat? Understanding Lithuania’s Citizen Army [New Eastern Europe]
- Inventing NATO 3.0: Why Rutte Should Bridge The EU And The US For A Stronger Alliance [ECFR]
- The Choice America Now Faces in Iran [The Atlantic]
- Worries Of A Soviet-Style Collapse Keep Xi Jinping Up At Night [Economist]
ON OUR RADAR NEXT WEEK
European Parliament plenary session | Mo-Thu, 7-10 October 2024 | Strasbourg, France- First anniversary of Hamas attack on Israel | Monday, 7 October 2024 |
- ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting | Monday, 7 October 2024 | Vientiane, Laos
- Foreign and defence ministers announce Sweden's 2025 contribution to NATO | Monday, 7 October 2024 | Stockholm, Sweden
- European Parliament debate on Moldova, Georgia, Sudan | Tuesday, 8 October 2024 | Strasbourg, France
- ASEAN Leaders Summit | Tuesday, 8 October 2024 | Vientiane, Laos
- Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addresses European Parliament | Wednesday, 9 October 2024 | Strasbourg, France
- Western Balkans-Ukraine Summit | Wednesday, 9 October 2024 | Dubrovnik, Croatia
- European Commission President Von der Leyen visits Moldova | Thursday, 10 October 2024 | Chisinau, Moldova
- UN General Assembly elects new members of the Human Rights Council | Thursday, 10 October 2024 | New York, United States
- US President Joe Biden state visit | Thu-Sat, 10-12 October 2024 | Germany
- EU Med9 Summit | Friday, 11 October 2024 | Paphos, Cyprus
- Nobel Peace Prize announcement | Friday, 11 October 2024 | Oslo, Norway
- Ukraine Defence Contact Group meets, Zelenskyy attends | Saturday, 12 October 2024 | Ramstein, Germany
PREVIOUS EDITIONS
- UN Struggles With Itself As Middle East War Fears Mount
- Ukraine, Middle East, UN Reform In Focus At UNGA79
- New Term, New EU Foreign Policy?
- The Trials of the Next Enlargement Commissioner
- What’s Brewing For The EU’s Foreign Policy Rentrée
[Edited by Rajnish Singh ]