European leaders meet in Dublin to discuss Ukraine and continental security

More than 50 leaders and their delegations meet in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for a new edition of the European Political Community summit. The gathering follows an informal European Council scheduled for Friday, 13 November, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attends both events. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has formally asked European Council President António Costa for the European Union to act as a single bloc on the Ukraine dossier. She wants to overcome fragmentation and restricted formats, such as the Berlin format, so Europe can speak with one voice. The shared goal with President Costa is to lay the groundwork and begin discussions on crucial issues, leading to concrete decisions at the formal European Council in December. Italy aims to bring the Dublin discussion to a decisive, constructive and pragmatic point in order to reach a unified decision at the official European Council next month. A senior European official said he does not expect an agreement on a special representative ahead of the informal summit in Dublin. The Ukraine dossier is on the agenda, alongside letters sent by Meloni about the European representative in peace talks and by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz regarding funding for Kyiv in 2027. The official also noted that talks currently under way in Abu Dhabi naturally enter the framework. The European Political Community was launched by French President Emmanuel Macron after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its first meeting took place on 6 October 2022 at Prague Castle in Czechia, with leaders from 44 European states attending. Russia and Belarus were not invited. The Prague summit produced an important diplomatic result when Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan held their first face-to-face meeting after bloody clashes in September 2022 that left more than 200 dead. Following the talks, Armenia agreed to facilitate a two-month EU civilian mission along its border with Azerbaijan starting in October, and Baku accepted cooperation with the mission.