Renew leaders meet at "Palais d'Egmont" in Brussels, ahead of the extraordinary meeting of the European Council (30/05). Arrivals and meeting. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

MACRON, Emmanuel (FR)

MICHEL, Charles (BE)

BETTEL, Xavier (LU)

RUTTE, Mark

KALLAS, Kaja (EE)

DE CROO, Alexander (BE)

SÉJOURNÉ, Stéphane (Renew, FR)

Renew Europe

BRETON, Thierry (FR, EC)

special meeting of the European Council 30-31 May 2022 (T)

Renew leaders meet ahead of the European Council (30/05): arrivals and meeting

External shots of the Palais d'Egmont (2 shots)

Arrival of St&eacute;phane SEJOURNE, President of Renew group

SOUNDBITE (French), St&#233;phane S&#201;JOURN&#201; (Renew, FR), The agenda will consist mainly of Ukrainian subjects. I will also have the opportunity to welcome a new Head of State and Government in the person of the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, who is joining us and whom I have also invited to this meeting of the political family. On the Ukrainian subject, of course, because Europe has been united in recent weeks. In the response we made in solidarity with the Ukrainian people, but now we will have to move forward.

SOUNDBITE (French), St&eacute;phane S&Eacute;JOURN&Eacute; (Renew, FR), My political group in the European Parliament and all the members of the Union. We are fairly united in the response to Ukraine with the will to move very quickly on the sanctions package, the sixth sanctions package, the desire to have a more optimal energy response and then also to provide for reconstruction and funds. We know that the Americans have already announced billions and billions. Europe must also make progress on these issues.

Arrival of Mark RUTTE, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

SOUNDBITE (English), Mark RUTTE, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, It's now a bit of the biggest political family when you look at the number of prime ministers and presidents, so that is really important because here you can also prepare something that connects us as liberals at the European summit. And is also a way for the Netherlands to exercise profit.

Arrival of Kirik PETKOV, Bulgarian Prime Minister

SOUNDBITE (English), Kiril PETKOV, I think it will pass with certain derogations for some specific things that will be put in. But overall it should pass.

SOUNDBITE (English), Kiril PETKOV, Depending on some individual characteristics and criteria that Member States may have of impossibility on an immediate stoppage of the Russian oil. You know that Bulgaria has beenand Had said no to the ruble requirements. So we we stopped our gas imports. We were 95% independence. We went from 95% to zero within two weeks. So I really believe we didn't really put our very strong position is in making sure that Putin's regime is not bending any European member states arm.

Arrival of Kaja KALLAS, Estonian Prime Minister

SOUNDBITE (English), Kaja KALLAS, Estonian Prime Minister, I don't think we're going to reach an agreement today. So, we will try to reach an agreement by a summit then in June. I think this is the realistic approach right now. Of course, we're going to have discussions, but everybody needs to be on board and so far.

Arrival of Emmanuel MACRON, President of the French Republic and SOUNDBITE (French), I think we are moving towards an agreement on a sixth package of sanctions Says a package of sanctions.

Arrival of Charles MICHEL, President of the European Council

Arrival of Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister

SOUNDBITE (English), Alexander DE CROO, Belgian Prime Minister, In the meantime, so many countries already are taking steps to turn their backs towards Russia on all this. A lot of things are happening now. I am confident that we will be able to take a decision. But let's be fair. If some countries have legitimate concerns, let's take into account those legitimate concerns. I see that there is a political will, but when some countries are afraid of their security of supply, we need to find solutions.

Arrival Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market

SOUNDBITE (English), Thierry BRETON, European Commissioner for Internal Market, It's important that, you know, that almost everyone agreed to spend 2% of their GDP in the military spending, which is how much we were requesting for four years. It would create an additional spending of 67 billion per year. And of course, our goal is to find the right mechanisms that we proposed to buy together.

Arrival of Xavier BETTEL, Prime Minister of Luxembourg

Interior and ambiance shots of the Renew meeting (6 shots)