The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has pointed out the convenience of holding a «coordination meeting» between the leaders of the European Union attending the G20 summit in Bali – France, Italy, Germany and, as a guest, Spain – in order to examine the evolution of the violence in Ukraine.
«I will propose a coordination meeting this Wednesday with EU leaders attending the G20 here in Bali,» Michel wrote on social networks, in a message disseminated after having spoken via telephone with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Michel, who has been «shocked» by the incident with alleged missiles in a Polish town bordering Ukraine, has confirmed in his conversation with Morawiecki the «total unity and solidarity of the EU in support of Poland».
After learning that at least two people have been killed by the explosion on the Polish border, several EU leaders have spoken out to make clear their determination to support Poland in the face of any aggression, although most of them have advocated caution until the details of what happened are known and analyzed.
In the absence of public statements from EU leaders present in Bali, French diplomatic sources consulted by Europa Press have indicated that the country’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has already been able to contact the Polish authorities and is being informed.
Without clarifying whether Macron or other leaders are in favor of this type of coordination meetings, the sources have considered that Wednesday morning will be the optimal time to «sensitize» other partners.
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has not yet expressed herself either, but her Deputy Prime Minister and responsible for Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, who explained the work of «constant» contacts to follow the evolution of what has happened with the Europeans and the allies.
In the meantime, Warsaw is studying the current conditions and whether the premises are in place to initiate the procedures for invoking Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which provides for the convening of consultations between allies when a NATO member considers that its territorial integrity, security or political independence are threatened.
Since its creation, it has been invoked seven times, most recently in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. At that time, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia requested consultations.
