Council Meeting Begins on Ukraine, Defence, Energy & Food Security

A two-day special meeting of EU member state leaders gets underway later today in Brussels with four main topics of discussion on the table: the war in Ukraine, EU defence policy, energy, and food security. Earliest arrivals and doorstep comments from leaders expected around 1200CET (0600ET, 1100BST), link to livestream can be found here: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/ebs/live/1.

• Ahead of the leaders meeting, another Coreper II meeting of member state ambassadors to the EU is currently underway as permanent representatives attempt to reach a last-minute deal in order to allow leaders to sign off on a sixth round of sanctions on Russia at the Council special meeting.
• As noted in our earlier Energy Bullets (see 0848BST and 0858BST), the EU is making some positive noises about a deal being reached on a partial ban on Russian oil exports to the EU, but this is by no means a done deal.
• Later this evening a discussion on the EU's energy situation vis-a-vis price inflation is expected to take place, with the meeting offering the first chance for leaders to ask questions of the Commission's 'REPowerEU' energy proposal.
• Tomorrow's discussion set to include talks on food security. Comes after a call on Saturday between French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. EU (and US) seeking 'grain corridors' to allow the export of millions of tonnes of grain from Ukraine to ease world supply shortages. Putin demanding an end to sanctions in response.