European Union leaders engaged in a heated spar with their Latin American and Caribbean counterparts as a much-anticipated summit became a casualty of the worldwide division on how to address Russia’s conflict in Ukraine.
The first summit between Brussels and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) since 2015, involving just over 50 senior figures, will also discuss a trade deal that has been delayed.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that in these uncertain times, it is crucial for us to have the support of our close friends, as she warmly welcomed Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva before the negotiations.
Von der Leyen pledged that Europe would allocate 45 billion euros to the Latin American economy through the Global Gateway program, which is Brussels’ response to China’s “Belt and Road” initiative aimed at developing economies.
However, the Europeans had also hoped to persuade their counterparts across the Atlantic to agree to a strong condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Unfortunately, negotiations regarding the wording of a joint statement carried on until late Monday, resulting in disappointment.
Representing EU leaders as president of the European Council, summit host Charles Michel opened the first session by urging delegates to condemn Russia’s “illegal war.”
He argued that in order to ensure the safety of every country on this planet, Russia must not be allowed to succeed. He further stated that the invasion has had detrimental effects on food security, energy prices, and the global economy, in addition to harming Ukrainians.
The president of CELAC, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, emphasized that the summit was not the appropriate forum to discuss Ukraine. He argued that the conflict should be resolved through negotiations, even if the outcome is not completely satisfactory to all parties involved.
However, it is important that this summit does not turn into another unproductive battleground for discussions on this issue, as it has already been and continues to be addressed in more pertinent forums.
The 33 nations of Latin America and the Caribbean do not have a consensus regarding the Ukraine war, with certain countries aiming to maintain relationships with Russia or pursue a peaceful compromise.
Lula’s denunciation of the conflict as a failure of global diplomacy instead of unilateral aggression resonated with many on the CELAC side.
He said that resorting to sanctions and blockades without the protection of international law only serves to penalize the most vulnerable populations. This could be seen as an implicit criticism of both the West’s attempt to collapse the Russian economy and Moscow’s restriction on Ukraine’s grain exports.
Rather than addressing Ukraine, certain CELAC delegates will opt to advocate for the implementation of the 2019 EU-Mercosur trade deal, which has encountered obstacles due to European concerns regarding deforestation and agricultural competition.
Three years after the agreement to liberalize trade between the European Union and Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay was made,
