EU leaders sign joint statement in support of Ukraine - Europe live

European Union leaders have formally endorsed a joint statement of support for Ukraine, marking the first unified declaration from all 27 member states since March 2025. The agreement was reached during a summit in Brussels, signaling continued solidarity with Kyiv amidst ongoing conflict.

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It's imperative that we continue to make progress on this budget.

The summit also tackled the bloc's upcoming budget for 2028-2034. Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz set a firm tone, stating the EU "must not" take on more debt and should resist proposed spending increases. "We must not do that," Merz asserted, indicating a cautious approach to fiscal expansion.

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It was very clear that quite a number of member states are anxious to improve somewhat on the draft budget proposals around agriculture, but it will be very challenging because there are a lot of competing demands.

Meanwhile, Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin acknowledged the "imperative" to progress on the budget but anticipated significant disputes, particularly concerning agriculture allocations. He noted that several member states are seeking improvements to the draft budget proposals for agriculture, facing challenges due to competing demands and existing concerns that the budget is already too high.

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We must not move into further indebtedness. We must not do that.

Martin praised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presentation at the summit as "one of the more significant presentations he has made" to EU leaders. Echoing the joint statement, he observed no current signs from Russia indicating a willingness to engage with proposed peace processes. Nevertheless, Martin backed the idea of establishing diplomatic channels with Russia, drawing on Ireland's experience in conflict resolution, stating, "opening up channels... is not something that we would criticize or be negative about."

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One of the more significant presentations he has made.