EU summit LIVE: Panic sweeps Brussels as Europe gathers to deal with Putin threat

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EU leaders will gather in Brussels today to discuss the ongoing threat posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

EU summit LIVE: Panic sweeps Brussels as Europe gathers to deal with Putin threat

EU summit LIVE: Panic sweeps Brussels as Europe gathers to deal with Putin threat (Image: GETTY)

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The leaders will meet for a summit with African counterparts to discuss Russian mercenary threats. Before joining leaders from the African Union, EU chiefs will hold a special session about the escalating crisis triggered by the deployment of more than 130,000 Russian troops near the border with Ukraine. The 27 national EU leaders will meet to discuss the issue for one hour from 11:30am. Russia will be a factor in the discussions on Africa too, as France announced on Thursday morning its intention to pull troops out of Mali. In Mali, mercenaries from the Russian Wagner Group have also been operating. Meanwhile, NATO defense ministers will meet their counterparts from Ukraine and Georgia in Brussels to debate a next step as Russia continues to amass troops and supplies. 

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES…

Tara Fair

EU leaders will avoid talking about ‘divisive’ sanctions

European Union leaders meeting over the crisis in Ukraine on Thursday will not discuss specific new sanctions on Russia as the matter is “divisive”, an EU official said on Thursday.

Asked about the latest shelling in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region, where Russia-backed separatists face off against Kyiv troops, the official said: “The trigger for sanctions is a matter of political appreciation.

“We are not entering that discussion yet. We are carefully looking at the Donbass shelling, we are aware that it might be used as a test or excuse.”

The official, who is involved in preparing the summit and spoke under condition of anonymity, said it would mostly be a debrief by the French and German leaders following their talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Tara Fair

EU to remain ‘vigilant’, says Ursula von der Leyen

The European Union will remain vigilant as Moscow has not been pulling back Russian troops from Ukraine’s border but adding even more soldiers to the military build-up, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday.

Speaking in Brussels, she said: “We hear claims from Russia about pulling back troops but we have not seen any sign of de-escalation on the ground. To the contrary, the build-up continues.”

EU to remain ‘vigilant’, says Ursula von der Leyen (Image: GETTY)

Tara Fair

The Sahel is now ‘a priority’ area for jihad extremist expansion

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have made the Sahel region of West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea nations “a priority for their strategy of expansion”.

He said: “They are investing there and exploiting local causes in order to better pursue their global and regional agenda.”

President Macron said this expansion and aggression justified an ongoing French and EU military presence in the region despite a pull-out from Mali.

Tara Fair

Macron says Niger has agreed to host European troops

Niger has agreed to host European forces fighting Islamist militants after France announced it would pull military forces out of Mali after a decade of anti-jihadist operations. 

French President Emmanuel Macron also said the remaining forces would provide further assistance for countries in the Gulf of Guinea.

Speaking at a press conference, he said: “These states are increasingly exposed to efforts by terrorist groups to implant themselves in their territory.”

Macron says Niger has agreed to host European troops (Image: ECC)

Tara Fair

France announces start of military withdrawal from Mali

French President Emmanuel Macron is holding a news conference to discuss plans for how to continue fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel region once France and its European allies begin pulling troops out of Mali.

France announces start of military withdrawal from Mali (Image: ECC)

Tara Fair

Good morning

Good morning from London. I’m Tara Fair, I’ll be bringing you all the latest developments on the EU Summit. Please feel free to get in touch with me as I work if you have a story or tips to share! Your thoughts are always welcome.

Email: Tara.fair@reachplc.com

Twitter: @TaraFair_

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