We have many topics on the agenda of the European Council. We'll start with Ukraine. We want to support Ukraine. We want to mobilise financing for Ukraine. We provide liquidity. We want to start the rebuilding of the country and to support them. That is one important element. We would also like to take a step on sanctions.
The sixth package of sanctions has been on the table for many weeks, and it's important to decide. The time is now. And I'm confident that we'll be able to take a decision all together and to again express a united position on that important topic. It's not easy because there are different sensitivities, different concerns. We made progress in recent hours on the topic, and I hope we will be able to take a decision on that important question.
We will also address the topic of energy, the energy sector. We will also take concrete measures and decisions to end our dependency, especially on Russian fossil fuels.
And we will have an important debate on defence, the European defence, which will take place tomorrow and on the food security crisis. There's a high level of risk for food security in the world because of the Russian war, the war decided by Russia. That is why we are cooperating with so many countries in the world, especially with the developing countries. Tomorrow Macky Sall will address the European Council on behalf of the African Union.
European Union leaders were on Monday evening, ironing out the details of the sixth round of sanctions against Russian including an oil ban -- set to be much weaker than initially envisioned.
The Commission's proposals unveiled nearly four weeks ago planned for a total ban on Russian oil imports, phased in a way to allow several member states more time to find alternative supply sources.
But unlike previous sanction packages that were swiftly adopted, negotiations over this one stalled very quickly as Hungary and other landlocked countries demanded a longer phasing out period and more EU funds.
Leaders were hashing out the details on Monday for a compromise that would exclude Russian oil transported by pipeline from the ban, with a senior EU official saying in the early evening that the "situation on sixth package is complex but there is light at the end of the tunnel."
