EU summit: Leaders and Zelenskyy to debate accession and peace negotiations

The meeting of the European Council is underway in Brussels with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance.

Speaking alongside Zelenskyy as he arrived at the summit, European Council President António Costa hailed "new momentum" in efforts to force Russia to the negotiating table, and a new sense of trans-Atlantic unity after G7 talks in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Leaders are expected to debate the possibility of engaging diplomatically with Russia to achieve a lasting peace in Ukraine. Though Moscow continues to stick to its maximalist demands, officials in Brussels are laying the groundwork for direct negotiations.

As he arrived, Zelenskyy also urged the EU to make the most of its new-found consensus on advancing Ukraine's bid to join the EU by opening the remaining five phases of membership talks by the summer. Both Ukraine and Moldova opened the first set of negotiations, known as clusters, on Monday.

Follow our live blog for updates.

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17:51 GMT+2

Romanian president welcomes EU focus on drone threat at Brussels summit

Romanian President Nicușor Dan welcomed the decision to place aerial drones high on the agenda of the Brussels summit, telling journalists on Thursday that the issue deserved significant attention.

On 29 May, a drone crashed into an apartment building in eastern Romania during an attack on Ukraine. A NATO spokesperson told Reuters that the drone was of Russian origin, despite Russia denying any wrongdoing.

“As a result of the work of our colleagues in Brussels, the conclusions of the Council will include the issue of drones and aerial drones that we have had on our territory and, consequently, a strengthening of the Eastern Flank Watch,” Dan said, referring to the final document that will be produced at the end of the summit, the so-called "conclusions" and the NATO’s patrolling mission.

EU leaders meet in Brussels today and tomorrow to discuss key geopolitical topics, including defence, the war in Ukraine, the EU's long-term budget, as well as the Middle East.

17:47 GMT+2

'We don't always see eye to eye with the Israelis' – Kallas

Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, said she has been representing the EU position in talks with the Israeli government, admitting that "we don't always see eye to eye with the Israelis".

She cited in particular the often violent expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

After Kallas allegedly compared the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory to South Africa's apartheid system, Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar threatened to cut all communications with her. Asked for her thoughts, Kallas said talks have to be open.

"I've had very good, open and frank and sometimes very difficult discussions with Minister Sa'ar that I found very constructive. We are willing to continue with this, but we can't deny the criticism."

17:45 GMT+2

‘Russia is once again raising an iron curtain,’ says Commission president

“The tide is turning,” Ursula von der Leyen said, referring to Ukraine’s recent gains on the battlefield.

The European Commission president said Ukrainian forces are holding their ground and making gradual territorial gains, while reaffirming the EU’s commitment to stand by Kyiv for as long as necessary.

Von der Leyen praised the €90 billion loan facility, the first tranche of which is expected to be discussed by EU leaders during the summit.

By contrast, she said, Russia’s economy is now “suffering”.

“The fact that Russia has shut down the internet and closed down platforms such as Telegram speaks for itself, because Russia is once again "raising an iron curtain,” von der Leyen said.

17:35 GMT+2

Ukraine brought Moscow’s war back to Russian territory – Nausėda

“Ukraine is prevailing in this war”, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda declared as he arrived at the EU summit.

“We see more and more evidence that the war in coming closer to the Russian population,” he said, referring to the Ukrainian drone attack on a Moscow refinery early this morning.

He stressed that Kyiv’s strike campaign will make Russians see that the war is ”not about watching it on TV," but having it come to them.

The Lithuanian president said he supports the idea of having "one European voice" in any possible talks with Russia, but insisted that so far, Moscow has shown no willingness to talk to Ukraine or Europe.

17:34 GMT+2

Zelenskyy pushes to open all EU accession clusters this summer

Arriving at the EU summit alongside European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he intended to discuss the opening of all EU accession negotiation clusters for Ukraine.

He reaffirmed Kyiv’s push for a faster path to membership, despite concerns from several member states that such an approach could place Ukraine ahead of other candidate countries.

Both Costa and von der Leyen refrained from specifying which accession clusters might be opened next, instead expressing gratitude to EU leaders for their unanimous decision earlier this week to begin negotiations on the “fundamentals” cluster with Ukraine and Moldova.

Nonetheless, von der Leyen praised Ukraine’s progress, arguing that as Kyiv continues to fulfill its commitments, the EU must also uphold its obligations and deliver on its promises.

Zelenskyy is clearly seeking to capitalise on the momentum from his G7 gains to keep pushing for faster movement on accession.

17:32 GMT+2

EU budget should not 'contribute to further economic disparities' – Greek PM

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has warned that the EU's next long-term budget should not increase disparities among the bloc's member states.

"Let’s discuss the new Competitiveness Fund, which is intended to support European businesses in the face of global competition. It must be distributed fairly, so that it does not contribute to further economic disparities between the strong and the weaker economies," he said in remarks earlier.

Mitsotakis added that Greece is, with other countries, backing the EU's traditional funding instruments for cohesion policy and common agricultural policy.

"I have said many times that the ambitious goals we have set require equally ambitious financing tools."

17:26 GMT+2

Reopening of Strait of Hormuz must lead to lower energy prices – Mitsotakis

Welcoming the US-Iran framework to finalise a peace deal, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that the top priority should be the full restoration of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Of course, we are monitoring oil and natural gas prices very closely," he said. "We have already seen an initial significant easing, and it is the Greek government’s duty to ensure that the drop in crude oil prices is immediately reflected in lower prices for diesel and gasoline at the pump, thereby benefiting all Greek consumers."

17:22 GMT+2

'There cannot be any new European debt,' Merz says

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected the idea of joint borrowing as he told reporters that today and tomorrow EU leaders and heads of state will discuss topics of "great importance" for the future of the bloc.

"I do not want to hide the fact that we also have a very difficult topic, namely the question of the future financial framework of the European Union," Merz said.

The German leader said these discussions must be "intense" over the course of the year, and confirmed that tomorrow, leaders will hold an orientation debate to assess "where we stand and where we want to go".

17:19 GMT+2

Merz wants to get rid of more red tape

At the start of the EU summit in Brussels, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for further efforts to reduce bureaucracy in order to strengthen European competitiveness.

“We want to gradually roll back European bureaucracy. It’s a very slow process, but it’s possible,” Merz said upon his arrival at the Council building.

He noted that this was one of the summit’s most important topics. He expressed his gratitude to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the initiatives taken so far.

Existing global economic inequalities must also be discussed further, according to Merz.

On Iran, Merz reiterated Germany’s willingness to provide military support for the framework agreement negotiated between Washington and Tehran regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, for example through mine-sweeping vessels from the German Navy.

However, he noted that this would require a clear legal basis, above all a corresponding resolution by the German Bundestag. Berlin would deliberate on this “at its leisure.”

When asked about Kaja Kallas’s comparison of Israel to apartheid, Merz said he did not share that characterization at all.

17:18 GMT+2

Péter Magyar “happy to represent Hungary” as he meets EPP leaders and Metsola ahead of first EU summit

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar arrived in Brussels on Thursday to participate in his first European Council summit since taking office in April. During his visit, he met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and attended the European People's Party's meeting ahead of the summit.

"I am very happy that I represent Hungary as Prime Minister here in Brussels. I am especially happy that today we have the strongest political mandate in the EU, thanks to the Hungarian people," Magyar told Euronews on the sidelines of the EPP meeting.

He added that enlargement, the EU budget, and competitiveness would be the summit's key topics.

After meeting with fellow EPP leaders, Magyar held bilateral talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. The discussions were later broadened to include representatives from the Visegrád Four countries.

Magyar also participated in a meeting of the "Friends of Cohesion" group — a bloc of 16 member states which seek to preserve agricultural and cohesion funding — before joining the full session of the 27 EU leaders.

In a social media video posted from Brussels, Magyar said Hungary could sign the summit's conclusions, and indicated that negotiations were under way to accommodate Budapest's requests regarding the final text.

The comments reflect a shift in Hungary’s approach to EU summits. During the tenure of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Budapest frequently refused to endorse common positions, forcing the remaining member states to issue joint statements on behalf of 26 countries.

17:08 GMT+2

Rob Jetten: 'We should not be naive with Putin'

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten warned Europe against being "naive" about Russian President Vladimir Putin, as European Council President António Costa considers establishing diplomatic outreach with Moscow to help bring the war in Ukraine to an end.

"Russians are losing this war both on the battlefield and economically. So I think the best thing that we can do is support Ukraine, make sure that they can continue their counter-attacks," he told reporters before attending the Renew Europe group's meeting ahead of the EU summit in Brussels.

There is no "clear indication that Putin is actually willing to have serious negotiations," he added.

Jetten also firmly rejected the Cypriot presidency’s proposal for the EU’s next long-term budget. The issue is expected to be one of the key topics on the agenda as EU leaders convene for the summit.

"It is not a proposal that we can take very seriously. I think we are very far from any agreement," he said, advocating for a budget "that invests in our security and a strong economy."

The Netherlands, like other "frugal" countries, is pushing to cut EU funds meant to finance the cohesion policy and the agriculture sector. "I think we can divert some of the budget from the funds that we've had over the past few decades more towards the big challenges that we face," he said.

17:04 GMT+2

Russian dissident assassination might be 'state terrorism' – Tusk

Polish PM Donald Tusk said that the murder of Russian artist Semyon Skrepetsky might be "a politically ordered murder by a foreign state."

On Thursday, the Lublin police and the Internal Security Agency arrested a suspect in the murder of the Russian dissident, who was shot dead in Poland on Monday.

"I don't need to convince anyone that we fear there is the possibility of state terrorism," Tusk said, adding that while such assassinations have already occurred across Europe, it would be a first for Poland.

"These are hypotheses for now, but we have to take them very seriously."

17:02 GMT+2

Tusk 'optimistic' about permanent American base in Poland

Polish Premier Donald Tusk welcomed a US government letter expressing interest in Poland's offer for a potential permanent American base on its territory.

"I'm optimistic, but I didn't expect such a quick and positive reaction," the Polish PM told reporters ahead of the European Council in Brussels. He added that further arrangements were needed, but he felt the proposal was on a "very good path."

For the Polish leader, a permanent US military base would radically change the country's sense of security.

17:01 GMT+2

'Very special moment': Tusk hails Visegrad revival ahead of EU summit

"We are launching the first Visegrad Group meeting in years here in Brussels," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said as he arrived at the European Council summit.

The Visegrad Group, or V4, is a semi-formal bloc comprising Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. It lapsed into obsolescence after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as Warsaw and Budapest did not see eye to eye on how to approach Russia.

But a revival is now on the cards since Péter Magyar ousted Viktor Orbán from government in a landslide electoral victory in April, leading to a rapprochement with Poland.

"This is a very special moment, because I’m keen to get this group moving again, as we have a few common issues to address in Europe," Tusk said.

16:46 GMT+2

New Latvian Prime Minister says Ukraine has "earned" its place in the EU

Presenting himself as the "new guy in town", Latvia's recently-appointed Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs has just told reporters that Ukraine is "the one fighting for peace in Europe", and that the country has definitely earned its place in the EU and NATO".

He also weighed in on the ongoing debate on appointing an EU envoy to peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. "First of all there has to be someone on the other side wanting peace," he explained, adding: "Nobody wants peace unfortunately from that side. So there is no point of contact."

Kulbergs' government was recently elected after the previous coalition collapsed over a disagreement related to stray drones that have been increasingly crossing into the Baltic state's airspace. He said that he would be "very vocal" on the issue of the threats facing Europe's eastern flank, citing the toll that the war in Ukraine is taking on his Baltic nation's economy.

16:43 GMT+2

US-Iran deal must be implemented, Cyprus president says

Nikos Christodoulides, the president of Cyprus, has welcomed the memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. As you might remember, in the early days of the war, a drone hit the British military base in Cyprus, briefly raising fears of a military spillover.

"For sure, the situation is much better than it used to be," Christodoulides said upon arrival at the summit.

"What we need to do now is (ensure) that whatever is signed will be implemented," he added. "It's important to have an agreement and have the implementation of the agreement."

Cyprus currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council.

16:32 GMT+2

Ukraine wants to open all clusters ‘in the coming weeks’ – Zelenskyy

Volodymyr Zelenskyy said one of his priorities at the EU summit on Thursday is to fast-track Ukraine's EU accession process, an idea many in the bloc reject as unfair to other candidate countries.

Speaking with reporters in a presidential WhatsApp chat on Thursday morning, Zelenskyy said Kyiv is “grateful to all the countries of the European Union for opening the first cluster”, calling it a "significant step forward”.

“We are not stopping there. Our aim is that in the coming weeks and months – preferably within weeks – we will be able to open the other five clusters, so that all six clusters are operational and pave the way for our future EU membership."

16:32 GMT+2

Four freshly-elected faces join EU summit

Today’s meeting of EU leaders will feature four brand new prime ministers.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar makes his EU summit debut, after ousting Viktor Orbán in the election in April. He has vowed to open a new chapter in the relationship between Brussels and Budapest, lifting some of the previous government’s long-standing vetoes on crucial foreign policy decisions and unlocking billions of euros in EU funds frozen under Orbán’s rule.

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Rumen Radev (who has attended previous summits in his capacity as Bulgaria's President) attends his first summit since winning the April election. He has repeatedly opposed sending military aid to Ukraine, but is not expected to disrupt EU decisions to the same extent as Orbán.

After piecing together a government in the aftermath of inconclusive elections in March, Slovenia’s Janez Janša is back in Brussels in what is his fourth term in power. Janša, a veteran nationalist politician, is a Trump admirer; whereas the previous Slovenian leader, Robert Golob, was a staunch supporter of Palestine, Janša is expected to oppose any efforts to sanction Israel.

And joining for the first time is Latvia’s recently-elected Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, who formed a centre-right government three weeks ago after the previous coalition collapsed amid a row over a stray drone.

16:27 GMT+2

From G7 to EU: what’s on Zelenskyy’s agenda in Brussels?

Volodymyr Zelenskyy began his visit to Brussels with a meeting with Mark Rutte on Wednesday evening. Ukraine’s president said the two discussed the measures agreed by the G7, in particular those aimed at strengthening Ukrainian air defences.

On Thursday, his one‑day programme in Brussels is divided between NATO and the European Council summit:

11:15 – Meeting with Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever.

13:00 – Audience with King Philippe of the Belgians.

14:40 – Meeting between Zelenskyy, NATO’s Rutte and the defence ministers of Ukraine, the UK and Germany.

15:00 – Meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defence in the “Ramstein” format.

16:55 – Arrival at the European Council for the summit.

Zelenskyy is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with EU leaders before joining the European Council meeting at 18:45.

16:10 GMT+2

Bulgarian prime minister opposes EU sanctions on Russia's Patriarch Kirill

Bulgaria's new prime minister, Rumen Radev, says he opposes EU sanctions on Russia's Patriarch Kirill. The name has been included in the 21st package of sanctions presented last week.

"The era of Crusades is over," Radev said on Thursday before flying to his first-ever summit in Brussels.

Bulgarian PM opposes EU sanctions on Russia’s Patriarch Kirill

“The era of the Crusades is over,” the Bulgarian prime minister said on Thursday as he confirmed his opposition to the proposal. #EuropeNews

14:23 GMT+2

What to expect from this EU summit