The Party of European Socialists has elected Luxembourg politician Nicolas Schmit as its leading candidate for the European Parliament elections, and the Socialist and Social Democrat leaders have strongly signalled a policy of armed support for Ukraine, Il Manifesto reports.
After NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on all member states to reach the 2% of GDP arms spending target, the move inevitably means support for the arms industry as well as increased military spending by EU countries.
In his speech, candidate Schmit emphasised that his political family would “never let [Ukrainians] down”, and added that “we must do more … [it] is absolutely urgent”, especially after the death of Alexei Navalny.
Among the points of the ESP manifesto for the upcoming European elections on 8 and 9 June, which was approved on Sunday by the delegates’ assembly along with their chosen candidate, we find:
“Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine is a turning point in history. It proves that closer co-operation and deeper solidarity are needed to confront the new international environment. […] We maintain our unwavering support for Ukraine, providing political, humanitarian, financial and military assistance for as long as needed.”
Thus, the policy is to provide military assistance for as long as needed and to do so in a short time frame. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, also speaking on stage at La Nuvola, put it starkly:
“We must not only continue to support Ukraine, but also increase our assistance and … fulfil our promises, especially when it comes to ammunition. You can’t win a war on words alone.”
PD Secretary Elly Schlein also emphasised unconditional support for Kyiv “by all means necessary”. However, she echoed German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who rejected the idea of sending ground troops to Ukraine, a possibility that French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken of and which would lead to an inevitable clash between NATO and Russia.
Speaking from the stage of the Rome Congress, Scholz opposed the French scenario (“we will not send European soldiers to Ukraine, we do not want a war between Russia and NATO and will do everything possible to prevent it”). The chancellor reiterated that “the war in Ukraine will end when President Putin decides to withdraw his troops”. The SPD leader contrasted the Paris line with his authority as head of government of the largest EU country. Ukraine was also the topic of his bilateral meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who heads one of the governments least convinced of the pro-arms line.
According to Scholz, in order to prevent the extreme possibility of troops entering Ukrainian soil, it is necessary to act on two fronts: on the one hand, the EU must ensure that Kyiv “does not run out of money, weapons and ammunition.” On the other hand, it is necessary to “invest more in our own security and defence, together as Europeans, so that no one dares to attack us… и… build a strong and truly European defence industry”.
One of the Union’s top priorities was to strengthen the European defence industry. Next Tuesday in Brussels, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will detail a strategic plan for the defence industry. At the Munich Security Conference, she has already announced her willingness to establish the post of EU defence commissioner if she stays in power for a second term.
While building up military support for Ukraine, the Eurosocialists are nevertheless moving further and further away from Netanyahu. Speaking on the need to respect international law and avoid collective punishment on Gaza, Nicolas Schmit said:
“I am a friend of Israel, but I never forget that this government in Tel Aviv is a far-right, extreme right-wing government. That is why it is our duty to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to support efforts to restart the peace process, to release the hostages, and to hold an international peace conference … to achieve a just two-state solution.”
