Good morning. Today, Nato’s Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, is in Berlin to discuss the alliance’s plans for Ukraine at the upcoming summit. There is internal debate within Nato regarding how to bring Ukraine closer to membership without making any concrete commitments. Meanwhile, EU energy ministers are meeting in Luxembourg to discuss renewable power policies and coal subsidies. Here’s what you need to know.
Ukraine’s future in Nato is a key topic for discussion at the upcoming summit in Vilnius. Given that Ukraine has been at war since Russia’s invasion in 2022, the country is demanding progress towards membership. Stoltenberg is tasked with finding a new way to express Nato’s commitment to Ukraine, which all member states can support. Some proposed phrases include “Ukraine’s rightful place is in Nato” and “Euro-Atlantic security is incomplete without Ukraine inside Nato.” However, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been hesitant to go beyond the language used in 2008 and is opposed to setting a timeline for Ukraine’s accession.
Stoltenberg’s proposed plan involves granting Ukraine special permission to bypass Nato’s membership formalities while avoiding setting a date for the accession process. This approach aims to appease Ukraine and its staunchest backers within Nato, such as Poland and the Baltic states. Stoltenberg is seeking Scholz’s support for this plan during their meeting in Berlin. He believes that reaching a consensus among member states is crucial to sending a clear message to Ukraine.
In other news, German foreign direct investment into China reached a record high of €11.5bn in 2022. This contradicts Berlin’s supposed “de-risking” approach to Beijing. The EU energy ministers meeting in Luxembourg today will not only discuss funding for renewable power but also subsidies for coal-fired plants. Brussels presented a proposal to reform the bloc’s electricity market, aiming to prevent price volatility and facilitate the integration of renewable energy. However, there are still disagreements among member states on issues such as electricity pricing contracts and support for coal power plants. Poland is pushing for an exemption to extend subsidies for coal, but this idea is met with opposition from more climate-conscious countries.
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