European Leaders Meet in Iceland to Reaffirm Values as Ukraine Conflict Rages On

By Andreas Rinke and Michel Rose

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) – European leaders will journey to Iceland on Tuesday for a two-day summit meant to indicate their help for Ukraine but in addition ship a robust message on core democratic values many really feel are beneath risk in and outdoors Europe.

In solely the fourth summit of the Council of Europe (CoE) because it was based after World Conflict Two, the 46 members of the main human rights physique, which is solely separate from the European Union, will collect to debate rising threats because the warfare in Ukraine rages on.

“The Council of Europe is usually underestimated in its significance,” Frank Schwabe, a German lawmaker who was carefully concerned within the planning of the summit advised Reuters.

The CoE’s democratic values are upheld by the Strasbourg-based European Court docket of Human Rights, the place residents can take governments to court docket in case of human rights violations.

Russia’s membership was suspended the day after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Moscow then left the watchdog hours earlier than a vote to expel it.

“The summit may also be about saying what occurs in case you do not respect the foundations,” Schwabe stated. “The specter of expulsion is already a pointy sword. Even Russia did not need to go away the Council of Europe, Turkey does not need to go away both.”

Turkey, which is in the course of a presidential election fought by President Tayyip Erdogan, faces removing from the CoE after it did not implement a 2019 court docket ruling to launch jailed businessman and philanthropist Osman Kavala.

The CoE’s Committee of Ministers has launched infringement proceedings towards Ankara which have thus far careworn dialogue however may ultimately see Turkey’s removing or its membership suspended, specialists say.

European leaders resembling Germany’s Olaf Scholz, Britain’s Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the summit in Reykjavik, whereas Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy will handle his counterparts by way of videolink.

Icelandic organisers stated the assembly will probably be a possibility to help Ukraine by means of “concrete measures” in addition to to spice up initiatives to deal with rising threats to democracy, together with from local weather change and synthetic intelligence.

Macron’s workplace stated the Council is taking a look at how its little-known financial institution, the Council of Europe Growth Financial institution (CEB), may assist meet the wants of struggling Ukrainians.

In the meantime, Sunak will use the assembly to induce different leaders to cease “the humanitarian catastrophe attributable to unlawful immigration,” his workplace stated.

He may also signal Britain as much as the Council of Europe’s newly-established Register of Damages, a mechanism to file and doc proof and claims of harm, loss or damage incurred on account of the Russian invasion.

(Further reporting by Andrew MacAskill in London; Writing by Michel Rose; Modifying by Christina Fincher)

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