European Council President Donald Tusk summed up the evening’s comprehensive debate over Russia policy with a stark declaration: “it is clear that Russia’s strategy is to weaken the EU.” Tusk said the dialogue among the 28 leaders had covered everything from “airspace violations, disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks, interference into the political processes in the EU and beyond, hybrid tools in the Balkans, to developments in the MH17 investigation.”
Despite this daunting range of Russian threats, EU heads of state and government mustered no return fire. They were unable to go any further than their foreign ministers had earlier in the week on holding Russia accountable for its behavior in Syria. The evening debate did not result in a specific threat of sanctions for Moscow’s bombing campaign in Syria, as some governments had wished, but a vague warning that the “EU is considering all available options, should the current atrocities continue.” The statement calls for extension of the ceasefire the Kremlin has offered for a couple of days, for more access for humanitarian relief and for creating conditions to negotiate a political solution.
