Gabon, another domino falling in the chain of coups in Africa, marked the beginning of the informal summit of the European Union defense ministers in Toledo. Early this Wednesday morning, both home owner, Daisy Robles, As the European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, They admitted that the situation in the African country is becoming increasingly important and thus causing concern in Europe. Spain plays without going any further military missions or consultancies International organizations are in three very close countries: Mali, Senegal and the Central African Republic.
On this occasion, defense officials sat at the table to support Ukraine in the war that has been going on for 19 months and possible sanctions against the putschist government that is currently in power – not to make decisions, but to build these decisions. Niger, however, entered Gabon’s agenda, opening a vacuum before the coup that ousted the pro-Western Gabonese president had Russian support. ali bongoSuch as Mali (May 2021), Burkina-Fasso (September 2022), Chad (attempted December 2022) and Niger (last July).
But Ukraine is the biggest on the agenda and it urgently overlaps with the African issue. Among them is the financial pressure that the European Union must address after this summer, because Ukraine’s needs are not delayed until its future reconstruction and this financial support is urgently needed as a horizon of continuity rather than funds.
Ukrainian War
Attending the informal meeting he chaired, Minister Robles reiterated the provision that Spain and the EU would provide “full and absolute support” to “Ukraine and the values it represents”. It also said it turned out to be the largest drone strike by Ukrainian forces on Russian targets and Russia the night before. Aircraft sent by Kiev damaged targets in the region Pskov, Bryansk, Kaluga, Orlov, Ryazan and Moscow regions. And this is already a very large radius of Russian territory, with points located only 32 kilometers from the Baltic border with NATO territory, but also more than 600 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The choice of settings for this appointment is probably not accidental. Toledo is a city closely linked to the Ukrainian cause. Minister recalled UMAM mission Formation of Ukrainian fightersThe assault on the Infantry Academy by Spanish soldiers from various corps, on a hill near the beautiful university campus converted to the former Toledo weapons factory, which hosted meetings of the Ministry of Defense and Foreign Affairs this Wednesday and Thursday.
In the same place, Borrell said, where at least 21 of all EU Defense Ministers meet; the rest are ministerial representatives or nearby military and civil officials; They will “insist on the need to continue supporting” Ukraine. However, the Catalan European Commissioner wanted Toledo to talk about “security guarantees for Ukraine, not only in the war but also in the long term”. “Sustainable financial support, With what resources will this help be provided?
A compromise will not emerge from Toledo as it is an informal council, but Borrell reminded that such meetings are “the place where ministerial opinion is formed”.
unstable africa
Based on news from Central Africa, Josep Borrell, without departing from the euphemism, argued: “It is clear that The situation in sub-Saharan Africa is not fully improving. The high representative presented to the Toledo desk his intention to create “a legal framework for it”. imposing sanctions against the military coup junta Niger. He confirmed this without wanting to delve further into the “future” field.
Russia and China are winning, while Europe faces a coup scenario that strips the continent of ground and influence. At the root of the instability are the problems of poverty deepened by terrorism, population explosion and climate change. Borrell argued that the military and political interventionism of other times should be carefully abandoned: “African Solutions to African Problems”Maybe he’s making up a slogan for the belated change of European mentality in Africa, he said.
Robles reinforced this situation for himself. Spain’s stance: You can’t leave Mali. In a statement he made at the beginning of the meeting, he said, “The European Union cannot be left out of the Sahel. The southern wing worries us a lot. But in any case, the final decision must be made by the EU.” And on that forum he insists on keeping it EUTM Financial mission The training of security forces against jihadism, of which Spain now has a main contingent.
At the Toledo meeting, the same surname is pronounced both to speak about Ukraine and to address African issues: Prigojin. The disappearance of the head of the mercenary company Wagner It forces defense ministers to consider a beheading, a word the minister is about to say, or a reorganization of disorganized and oligarchic Russian power, according to the tone of intelligence reports. Another issue that is a matter of strategic consideration among those meeting in Toledo – when it’s not a concern.