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A high-level summit between European Union and African Union leaders is set to open in the Angolan capital Monday, with European leaders expected to hold closed-door consultations on the sidelines to craft a joint response to a controversial U.S. proposal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
The summit, originally planned to mark 25 years of EU-Africa cooperation, will now double as a geopolitical crossroads. Several EU officials, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are expected to attend the emergency discussions after a U.S.-backed peace plan, seen by many in Europe as overly conciliatory toward Moscow, triggered unease among NATO allies.
The U.S. proposal, revised during recent Geneva meetings between American and Ukrainian representatives, reportedly calls for territorial concessions by Kyiv and limitations on its military capacity, provisions that have sparked discomfort in European capitals.
European leaders attending the Luanda summit will meet on the sidelines to coordinate a response, seeking a unified stance before further transatlantic talks. Officials have described the gathering as a "special meeting" to assess the implications of the plan and whether it aligns with Ukraine’s sovereignty and long-term security interests.
While the Ukraine issue dominates background discussions, the official summit agenda will focus on trade, investment, and shared security between Europe and Africa. The meeting takes place amid growing competition for influence across the continent, where China and Russia have made substantial inroads in recent years.
The European Union remains Africa’s largest trade partner and source of foreign direct investment, with bilateral trade totaling €467 billion ($538 billion) in 2023. However, its influence has declined in parts of the continent due to shifting political allegiances, security realignments, and criticism of Europe's post-colonial approach.
Despite the geopolitical distractions, the EU aims to use the summit to promote its Global Gateway initiative, an infrastructure program intended to counter China’s Belt and Road influence. One of its hallmark projects, the Lobito Corridor, is a joint EU-U.S. railway effort connecting mineral-rich regions of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to Angola’s Atlantic ports.
This corridor is designed to bolster access to critical minerals such as cobalt and copper, vital for the EU’s clean energy transition. EU officials are expected to frame the project as a “mutual opportunity,” though critics have voiced concerns that it replicates extractive models from the past without delivering sufficient benefits to African communities.
In addition to infrastructure, discussions will cover migration management, regional security cooperation, and efforts to amplify Africa’s voice in international institutions.
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