Also in this newsletter: The Belgian Prime Minister urges Europe to negotiate with Russia regarding the war in Ukraine, while EU diplomats anticipate ongoing tensions over the closed Druzhba pipeline until after Hungary’s April elections.
Good morning from Brussels. I’m Mared Gwyn.
ADVERTISEMENT 
ADVERTISEMENT
EU foreign ministers are slated to discuss strengthening the EU’s Aspides naval mission during their meeting in Brussels later today, a diplomatic source revealed to Euronews, amid increasing pressure from US President Donald Trump on allies to back the forced reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has advocated for an international naval coalition to escort commercial vessels through the Strait, an essential maritime route that has faced a de facto blockade since the outbreak of the Iran conflict, triggering a global energy supply disruption, soaring prices, and economic instability. He told the Financial Times that it would be «very bad for the future of NATO” if European allies do not heed his appeal.
Euronews has learnt that EU ministers will debate boosting the capacity of the Aspides mission, but it is unlikely they will deploy it to Hormuz while the Middle Eastern conflict continues, aiming to avoid entanglement in the escalating war.
On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed doubts about these plans, stating that Germany wants to refrain from taking an “active role” in the conflict.
Aspides is a defense-oriented mission initiated in 2024 to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea from assaults by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. At that time, the EU resisted US pressure to participate in the offensive counterpart, Operation Prosperity Guardian, seeking to prevent further escalation of Israel’s conflict with Hamas.
In a subtle warning, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi—who has declared the Strait open to all except the US and its allies—warned his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot during a call on Sunday that European nations should “avoid actions that might escalate or broaden the conflict.”
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France and its European partners are ready to deploy an “ad hoc” and “strictly defensive” naval mission to the Strait but only after the war subsides from its most intense phase.
Macron also committed two additional French ships to the Aspides mission, which initially consisted of three permanent frigates contributed by the French, Italian, and Greek navies. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has appealed directly to EU states with naval assets to contribute more ships to the operation.
Earlier today, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters she spoke with UN Secretary General António Guterres about possibly replicating a Black Sea mission scheme, which facilitated grain exports from Ukraine during the war, to restore the oil and gas flow through Hormuz.
Kallas also highlighted concerns about the cascading effects on fertilizer availability and the risk of widespread “food deprivation.”
The repercussions of the Iran conflict for Ukraine will be part of today’s agenda, with Kallas cautioning against losing focus on Ukraine as the Middle East crisis intensifies.
Several nations have criticized the US’ recent choice to temporarily lift sanctions on Russian energy, permitting countries like India to buy Russian oil trapped at sea in an effort to alleviate global supply shortages. (EU ministers will have lunch with their Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar later.)
This temporary waiver was announced by the US Treasury Secretary shortly after G7 leaders agreed on a call to maintain existing sanctions.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has labelled any relaxation of sanctions on Russia as “mistaken,” while Council President António Costa described the US decision as “worrying,” highlighting its European security implications. Kallas earlier described the move as setting a «dangerous precedent.»
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intensified his criticism of the US decision over the weekend, continuing to caution European allies against following suit.
Nevertheless, signs are emerging that the Middle East war is shifting the EU’s stance on the Ukraine conflict — with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever urging Europe over the weekend to hold direct negotiations with Moscow. More details on De Wever’s statements can be found in our top story below.
Efforts to curb the global energy crisis coincide with ongoing disputes over the supply of discounted Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline. Zelenskyy described the pressure from EU partners to reopen the pipeline as “blackmail” over the weekend.
The pipeline, dating back to Soviet times, has been closed since late January, fueling a major conflict between Kyiv and the landlocked countries Hungary and Slovakia, which are exempt from EU restrictions on Russian oil. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is blocking the EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine until the pipeline is reactivated, with the energy shock caused by the Iran war further escalating tensions.
Brussels supports Budapest and Bratislava’s requests for an external inspection and urges Ukraine to repair the pipeline to ease tensions and bolster efforts to persuade Orbán to withdraw his veto.
However, as the EU’s 27 leaders prepare for a high-stakes summit in Brussels on Thursday, officials and diplomats are seriously considering scenarios where Viktor Orbán’s veto continues until after Hungary’s elections on 12 April, my colleague Jorge Liboreiro reports.
Orbán has made the growing conflict between him and Zelenskyy regarding the Druzhba pipeline a central theme of his campaign. Many in Brussels acknowledge the Hungarian Prime Minister has little incentive to lift the veto before the vote—and the EU executive now believes Ukraine has sufficient funds to sustain itself until early May, thanks to a G7 credit line and a new International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
Belgium’s PM De Wever says Europe must strike deal with Russia to end Ukraine war
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever has called for Europe to reach an agreement with Russia to conclude the war in Ukraine, as the Middle East conflict continues to destabilize global order and cause energy prices to surge.
In an interview with the Belgian newspaper L’Echo, De Wever contended that negotiating a settlement is essential to restore access to affordable energy.
«Privately, European leaders share my view, but none dare express it openly. The conflict must end in Europe’s interest, without naïveté towards Putin,» the Belgian leader said.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni have recently advocated for direct talks with Putin to amplify their influence on any future agreement, while US envoys facilitated direct discussions between Kyiv and Moscow. Other EU members, including Poland and the Baltic states, have adopted a more cautious stance.
For now, the Iran conflict has stalled the trilateral talks among the US, Ukraine, and Russia, which had been held in the United Arab Emirates.
Sándor Zsiros provides more on De Wever’s remarks.
Orbán, Magyar hold competing national day rallies as electoral campaign enters final weeks
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his contender Péter Magyar addressed rival crowd gatherings in Budapest on Sunday, as the campaign intensifies ahead of elections this April that will significantly shape Hungary’s future.
Our Hungarian EU correspondent Sándor Zsiros reports that Orbán framed the vote once again as a choice between peace and war, while criticizing Ukraine’s Zelenskyy and the EU over the Druzhba pipeline conflict.
«It is time for Kyiv and Brussels to understand that our sons will not die for Ukraine, they will live for Hungary,» Orbán stated.
«The decision is who should govern, me or Zelenskyy? I modestly offer myself,» he added.
Meanwhile, Magyar accused Orbán of betraying the nation and recruiting Russian agents to manipulate the election.
«Orbán invited Russia’s most expert agents into our country to interfere with the elections and once more deprive us of our most sacred right, Hungarian freedom, for which our ancestors sacrificed their lives,» Magyar declared.
Magyar leads Orbán in most opinion polls, posing the largest challenge to the Prime Minister after Orbán’s 16 consecutive years in power.
More from our newsrooms
EU Parliament firewall breached? EPP reportedly worked closely with AfD. Investigations reveal cooperation between the EPP group in the European Parliament and far-right parties including AfD on stricter EU migration laws, with a chat group and an MEP meeting playing a significant role. Nela Heidner has the details.
North Korea conducts test of nuclear-capable rocket launchers. South Korean forces reported detecting about 10 ballistic missiles fired from North Korea’s capital region toward the eastern sea on Saturday. This launch coincided with US-South Korean Freedom Shield exercises—computer-simulated command post training. Jesús Maturana & Emma De Ruiter offer more.
We’re also keeping an eye on
- EU foreign affairs and energy ministers convening in Brussels
- The European Commissioner for Defence, Andrius Kubilius, giving a speech in Brussels
This concludes today’s briefing. Maria Tadeo, Sandor Zsiros, and Shona Murray contributed to this newsletter. Subscribe to receive Europe Today in your inbox every weekday at 08.30.