Will European solidarity continue? News. Last Minute France, Russia headlines and events

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, for the first time in many years, war has reached the door of the European Union. The 27-member bloc generally responds unanimously to the Ukrainian-Russian war.

As ongoing conflicts push the EU towards an energy crisis and even a possible recession, there is debate about how long this solidarity in Europe will last.

After a very gloomy year, there is at least some joy in this holiday season in Europe.

But many in Paris and other European capitals are facing growing hardship because of the war in Ukraine.

Only Zohra, who gave her name, came to the headquarters of the Salvation Army in the French capital to receive free food. Zohra lost her job at the medical clinic due to health reasons.

Zohra said: “This year has been very difficult. Rent, electricity, gas, telephone, prices for everything are rising. It’s very hard to live like this,” he says.

Eight separate sanctions imposed by the European Union on Moscow because of the war have raised food prices and deprived EU countries of cheap Russian energy. Brussels argues that this situation further strengthens Europe’s resolve.

Ursula von Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: “We will not stop until Ukraine has defeated Russian President Putin and his illegitimate and barbaric war.”

“The European Union has so far reacted quite quickly and imaginatively to this situation, which is in some ways really unprecedented,” says Jan Lesser of the German Marshall Fund.

EU countries have provided Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of military and humanitarian aid and have opened their doors to millions of Ukrainian immigrants.

But like winter conditions, the cost of supporting Ukraine and preserving European values ​​also causes great suffering.

Experts say that the European Union may fall into a recession. Aid organizations are helping more and more victims.

Samuel Coppens, spokesperson for The Salvation Army charity, said: “What really surprised us was that we saw so many young people. These are the students who couldn’t make it to the end of the month. Also, parents who raise children alone and pensioners with very small pensions cannot get along, ”she says.

The EU has entered the winter by stockpiling gas purchased from outside Russia, finding new suppliers and occasionally switching to air-polluting coal. However, power outages may still occur in some countries.

France is one such country, half of its nuclear reactors are closed for repairs.

Thermostats in Europe are kept low. Energy-saving light bulbs illuminate entertainment venues. Paris, the city of lights, doesn’t look so bright this year.

“The fact that we have less energy, that we are less wealthy, that the economy is heading into recession, can be disappointing for Ukraine,” says Thierry Brothers of Poe University of Sciences.

There are some cracks in the European Union and there is no sign that the war in Ukraine will end anytime soon.

Whether the EU will come out of this situation stronger or not is a question that remains open.

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