EU Summit

European leaders' discussions at a summit in Brussels were set to focus on the bloc's competitiveness in the face of increased competition from the United States and China. Tensions in the Middle East and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine decided otherwise and the 27 leaders will dedicate Wednesday evening talks to foreign affairs. As the unprecedented attack by Iran on Israel ratcheted up regional tensions and raised fears of a wider war, EU leaders will urge all parties to exercise utmost restraint and refrain from any action that may increase tensions in the region, according to a draft of their summit conclusions. Following a video meeting of the bloc's foreign affairs ministers on Tuesday, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said the EU will also consider further sanctioning Iran. This may entail expanding the scope of the existing regime targeting Iran's military support of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine through drones, to include the possibility to sanct

The words coming from some of Israel's closest allies have been startling in their vehemence: appalled, outraged, no more excuses. The Israeli military's killing of seven aid workers in Gaza has triggered unprecedented criticism from European leaders, who are stepping up calls for a cease-fire and in some cases halting arms sales to Israel as the war's toll mounts. The attack on the World Central Kitchen convoy has sharpened the dilemma for European politicians, who are squeezed between support for an ally that suffered a terrible attack on October 7 and growing public pressure to stop a war over which they have little control. Nothing justifies such a tragedy, French Foreign Minister Sbastien Sjourn said after Monday's attack. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was appalled by the deaths of the aid workers, three of whom were British. Britain summoned the Israeli ambassador for a reprimand over the killings. So did Poland, which lost one of its citizens and whose foreign minist

The leaders of the EU reaffirmed their full commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkan (WB) countries on the sidelines of the EU-Western Balkans Summit held here

Never has our Union faced such great challenges: Charles Michel, European Council President

The 27-member bloc strongly condemned the incident which endangered aviation safety and called for urgent investigation in 'this unprecedented and unacceptable incident'

The European Union reached a tentative climate deal that should make the 27-nation bloc climate-neutral by 2050

Never before did the EU invest in the future like this, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes says

"An extraordinary situation demands extraordinary efforts," German Chancellor Angela Merkel says

Leaders may abandon the summit and try again for an agreement next month, say diplomats

The first day of a two-day summit in Brussels however ended without a conclusion on tariffs

Macron said he favoured open markets but that Europe 'cannot be naive'

Negotiations on the Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement - the FTA between the EU and India is to top the agenda of discussions