MNI BRIEF: EU Finmins, CB Heads To Focus Paris Meet On Ukraine

EU finance ministers and central bank chiefs will meet on Friday to discuss a radically modified agenda one originally expected at a weekend ECOFIN meeting and will now look at the immediate economic and financial implications of the Ukraine crisis in the wake of the Russian invasion. France, who currently hold the revolving presidency of the EU, have cancelled the planned weekend ECOFIN.

The meeting will now begin with a joint doorstep press conference by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and his German counterpart Christian Lindner on Friday. The ECOFIN meeting follows to discuss the ‘operational conclusions’ of the EU leaders’ summit to be held tonight in Brussels, which is expected to result in a second batch of sanctions against Russia. That meeting will also discuss the immediate economic consequences of the crisis, in particular for energy prices.

A working lunch focused on the same issues will follow, with a press conference at 1500CET with Le Maire, ECB President Christian Lagarde, Eurogroup Chair Paschal Donohoe and EU Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.