Skip next section What you need to know
What you need to know
- The two-day summit is to focus on three topics: supporting Ukraine, the EU’s next long-term budget, and global economic challenges
- Leaders agreed to extend sanctions on Russia by 12 months
- The leaders also plan to discuss the challenging commercial relationship between the EU and China
Here is a roundup of the major news and analysis from the June 18 and 19 European Union summit.
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Skip next section READ: Israel says it’s cutting ties to EU’s Kaja Kallas06/19/2026June 19, 2026
READ: Israel says it’s cutting ties to EU’s Kaja Kallas
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said he was cutting ties to the EU’s foreign policy representative Kaja Kallas.
Saar has challenged her to address a Euractiv media report claiming that she compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza to apartheid South Africa in a visit to Mexico last month.
EU-Israel relations have been strained amid the conflicts that followed the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror attacks.
Keep reading here to find out what Kallas had to say in response.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FgQoSkip next section Zelenskyy urges EU leaders to fast-track Ukraine’s membership06/19/2026June 19, 2026
Zelenskyy urges EU leaders to fast-track Ukraine’s membership
Addressing an EU summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the future of Europe was being decided with the defense of Ukraine.
He also stressed that the best guarantee for the future would be to grant Kyiv fast-track EU membership.
“The future of Europe — free, united, and in peace — is being decided in our defense. That shows how unique our situation is,” Zelenskyy said in excerpts of the address posted on X.
“The most important such step could be a fast-track path for Ukraine to join the EU,” he added.
This week, the European Council agreed to open the first cluster of chapters in the accession negotiations with Ukraine. The goal now, according to an EU official, is to open all the other clusters as soon as possible.
The official said all the EU’s efforts are aimed at strengthening Ukraine and putting pressure on Russia in view of future peace negotiations.
Zelenskyy, however, stressed that Europe’s security depended on securing funding for Ukraine’s military: “We need to provide long-term security guarantees for Europe, and that means long-term financial guarantees for the Ukrainian army.”
He added that the EU and the “coalition of willing” countries supporting it could develop the financial instruments to ensure that funding.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FgQdSkip next section Luxembourg’s Frieden calls for bigger EU role in Ukraine talks06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Luxembourg’s Frieden calls for bigger EU role in Ukraine talks
On the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels, Luxembourg‘s Prime Minister Luc Frieden called for a bigger EU role in Ukraine talks.
“I’ve always said we cannot leave it to the Americans to speak to Russia about Ukraine and Europe,” he told reporters ahead of the summit.
But before reaching out to Russia, the EU needs to establish a common position, Frieden stressed, namely, “We stand on the side of Ukraine, we defend the fundamental principles of international law and the principles of the United Nations charter, that was obviously violated.”
https://p.dw.com/p/5FgQZSkip next section Merz calls for strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Merz calls for strengthening Europe’s defense capabilities
At the European Union summit in Brussels, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz acknowledged the new US security strategy, which includes a review of troop deployments worldwide, including in Europe and Germany.
Consequently, Germany’s and Europe’s defense capabilities must be strengthened, he stressed.
There is already good coordination within the EU and among NATO partners, including Norway and the UK, in this regard, Merz stated, adding that this coordination serves to reinforce the European pillar of NATO.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FgQXSkip next section EU to renew Russia sanctions for 12 months06/18/2026June 18, 2026
EU to renew Russia sanctions for 12 months
European Union leaders have agreed to renew sanctions against Russia over its ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
A spokesperson for European Council President Antonio Costa said the measures would be renewed for another 12 months.
The bloc had been planning further restrictions on various industrial sectors, including on the banking industry and cryptocurrency assets, and on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of ships accused of helping circumvent sanctions on things like oil sales.
Thursday’s decision marked the first time such sanctions have been renewed for a year. Previously, they had been renewed every six months.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FgQ7Skip next section Bulgaria to veto new EU sanctions package against Russia, PM says06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Bulgaria to veto new EU sanctions package against Russia, PM says
Bulgaria‘s Prime Minister Rumen Radev said his country will veto the latest European Union package of sanctions against Russia because it may negatively impact Bulgaria’s economy. The Bulgarian government is also vetoing over sanctions imposed on a Russian bishop.
“There is a significant risk to the operation of Lukoil,” Radev, a pro-Russian euroskeptic who won a parliamentary election in April, told reporters. “We want Lukoil to be excluded from the list.”
Russian Lukoil is one of the largest motor fuel retailers in Bulgaria and runs the country’s sole refinery in Burgas.
However, Radev said that Bulgaria would not obstruct the EU’s common decisions on Ukraine. “We will support the process of negotiations for Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” he said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fg93Skip next section Some EU leaders are warning against talks with Russia06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Some EU leaders are warning against talks with Russia
Several leaders who arrived at the EU summit in Brussels said there was no point in rushing into talks with Russia.
These remarks were made after an EU official announced on Wednesday that the office of European Council President Antonio Costa had had “brief contacts at diplomatic level” with the Kremlin.
“First of all, there has to be someone on the other side willing for peace,” Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said. “Unfortunately no one wants peace on that side … there is no point for contact if the other party (Russia) doesn’t want (peace).”
“It is much better to step in if we see some positive signals from Russia, showing that Russia is willing to start the peace negotiations, or they are willing for a ceasefire,” Lithuania‘s President Gitanas Nauseda told reporters. “So far I do not see any positive signals from Russia, so my question is what we want to achieve.”
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Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten also said that Russia was not showing any willingness to negotiate, adding that he did not believe peace talks could start soon.
“We do not have that impression at all from the Netherlands. We see that the Russians have not shown any serious interest recently,” he said.
Meanwhile, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker said he wanted to keep the lines of communication open, no matter the level. However, even he was skeptical about Moscow’s willingness to discuss peace.
“I do not have the impression that Russia, and President Putin in particular, is coming to the negotiating table to negotiate a peace solution,” Stocker said.
Earlier this week, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed the idea of a single EU envoy to handle negotiations with Russia regarding Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Fg4YSkip next section Zelenskyy says he discussed Ukraine’s accession with EU leaders06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Zelenskyy says he discussed Ukraine’s accession with EU leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he discussed further steps on Ukraine’s path toward accession to the European Union with European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and that they coordinated their positions.
“It is important to open the remaining five negotiating clusters in the near future. We also expect to receive the first tranche from the EU financial support package soon in order to strengthen our defense,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
The leaders also discussed defense support for Ukraine, particularly strengthening air defense and protection against Russian ballistic missiles, according to the Ukrainian president.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Fg5PSkip next section Von der Leyen: Tide is clearly turning for Ukraine06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Von der Leyen: Tide is clearly turning for Ukraine
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the EU summit.
“It’s been a historic week for Ukraine. On Monday, we opened formally the negotiations of the first cluster. It’s a very important step towards enlargement of the European Union and full accession of Ukraine to the European Union,” Costa said.
Von der Leyen also congratulated Ukraine on opening the first cluster of negotiations. “You deserve it because you were working so hard to move forward to do the necessary reforms. We hope that during the summit we can open more clusters,” she added.
“I have the impression that the tide is turning. We see that Ukraine is holding the line, even partially regaining the territory, and that Ukraine has a very strong moment,” von der Leyen said.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FfycSkip next section EU leaders to discuss trade imbalance with China06/18/2026June 18, 2026
EU leaders to discuss trade imbalance with China
At their summit in Brussels, European Union leaders are expected to discuss new, tougher measures needed to curb the bloc’s growing trade deficit with China and its reliance on rare earths and other critical supplies from the country.
According to Reuters, EU diplomats say there is a gradual convergence of views among the 27 EU members that the goods trade deficit with China is problematic.
The deficit now amounts to approximately €1 billion ($1.15 billion) per day. The situation is more critical given that transatlantic tariffs are diminishing access to the US market.
In 2025, China’s goods trade surplus with the EU reached €360.6 billion, marking a 15% increase from 2024.
Additionally, it expanded by 10% in the first four months of this year, driven by increased sales to the EU and reduced imports by Chinese firms.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5Ff3MSkip next section Welcome to our coverage06/18/2026June 18, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Jenipher Camino Gonzalez Editor | Dmytro Hubenko with dpa, AFP, Reuters, AP.
Welcome to DW’s coverage of the two-day summit of European Union leaders in Brussels, which is expected to focus on support for Ukraine, the EU’s next long-term budget, and global economic challenges.
The summit is expected to begin with a reception for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It will mark his first visit to Brussels since Viktor Orban, the former Hungarian prime minister and Zelenskyy’s most prominent opponent within the EU, was voted out of office earlier this year.
On Thursday, EU leaders are expected to discuss some of the bloc’s most pressing challenges, including its declining competitiveness, as well as broader global issues such as its strained commercial relationship with China.
The following day, they are planning to focus on the EU’s next long-term budget, which is expected to be between €1 trillion ($1.15 trillion) and €2 trillion and will cover the period from 2028 to 2034.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ff1wShow more posts
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