EU foreign minister meeting to focus on Ukraine, Gaza wars

Foreign ministers from the 27 European Union member states are meeting in Brussels for informal talks that will take in a range of global crises, from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to the disputed Venezuelan elections.

The meeting, at which no official decisions are expected to be taken, is being held in Brussels rather than the originally planned venue of Budapest in protest at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in early July.

Orban's visit to Moscow during his country's six-month stint holding the rotating European Council presidency was seen by many in the EU as an illegitimate bid to pass off his own tendentially pro-Russian views as representative of the bloc's position.

Pressure from Kyiv over Western weaponry

Ahead of the meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba, a guest at the talks, said he would be urging European allies to make good on promises of air-defense missile systems for Ukraine.

"Some Patriot systems were announced and not delivered yet," Kuleba told reporters as he arrived. "I will urge all partners who have made their pledges to finally deliver these systems."

 He also reiterated Kyiv's calls to be able to employ Western long-range weapons to strike targets within Russia.

"If we are supplied a sufficient amount of missiles, if we are allowed to strike, we will significantly decrease the capacity of Russia to inflict damage on our critical infrastructure and we will improve the situation of our forces on the ground," he said.

The United States restricts the use of long-range ballistic missiles it provides to Ukraine, and some EU members also limit the use of their weapons. 

Condemnation of Gaza suffering

Ahead of the meeting, many of the bloc's top diplomats also voiced their horror at the situation in the Gaza Strip, urging Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas — classed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the EU and the US, among others — to agree to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal.

"This is essentially now a war against Palestinians, not just against Hamas," Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said of Israel's offensive in the enclave, launched in response to attacks on Israel by Hamas and other militants on October 7. Over 40,000 Palestinains have been killed as a result of Israel's ongoing military campaign in Gaza. 

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock joined calls for a cease-fire and also said the situation in the West Bank, where Israel has stepped up military operations, "must not be allowed to explode."

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the host of Thursday's discussions, said he has asked EU member states if they want to impose sanctions on some Israeli ministers for "hate messages" against Palestinians that he said violated international law.

Although he did not detail which ministers or messages he meant, in recent weeks he has publicly slammed Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for statements he called "an incitement to war crimes."

Diplomats say it is unlikely the EU will find the necessary unanimity among its 27 members to impose such sanctions.

Turkey, Venezuela on the agenda

Ministers will also have lunch with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to discuss EU-Turkey relations and "global issues of shared interest," according to the EU's diplomatic service.

The political crisis in Venezuela following its July 28 presidential election will also be discussed, with remote input from opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, whom several countries, including the US, consider to have won the poll over incumbent President Nicolas Maduro.

Maduro has claimed victory in the election with the backing of the Supreme Court, but the results have been widely deemed fraudulent.

Earlier this month, a United Nations report said at least 1,260 people had been detained and 23 killed since the election amid "fierce repression by the state."

tj/sms (Reuters, AP, dpa)