EU summit: Leaders to address wars, US tariffs, migration

• The European Union summit begins in Brussels at 11 am CET on Thursday
• Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join European leaders via video link
• The summit comes a day after NATO's European allies agreed to a historic defense spending increase

Follow below for the latest developments concerning the EU summit on Thursday, June 26:

06/26/2025June 26, 2025

What's on the agenda?

The EU summit will kick off at 11 am CET. Working sessions of the European Council are scheduled throughout the day. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to hold talks with the European leaders through video conference later in the afternoon. 

The war in Ukraine is set to remain a pressing concern for the EU, as members discuss an 18th round of sanctions against Russia. Talks will also be held on whether a price cap on Russian oil needs to be maintained — steps that some nations have opposed as it could cause energy prices to rise.

Meanwhile, leaders are expected to inform the European Commission if they want a quick trade deal with Washington, which would mean the US getting better terms, or to escalate the dispute in hopes of something better. 

US President Donald Trump has given a deadline of July 9 for a deal.

Officials and diplomats have hinted at a quick deal being the preferable option for most.

European leaders will also address the wars in the Middle East amid concerns about the fallout from the escalation that risks the stability of the region. 

The humanitarian situation in Gaza will be a key focus.

The EU is also making the push to bring back negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.

European defense and security, migration and internal security will also be on the docket for discussion.

"We will address several issues that must be tackled together to advance our common ambitions: to build a more competitive, safer and more autonomous Europe for our citizens, and to ensure that the European Union can be an effective, predictable and reliable global actor," Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, said in a statement.

06/26/2025June 26, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Leaders of the European Union's 27 member states are meeting in Brussels on Thursday for a one-day summit. 

Discussions on imposing stricter sanctions on Russia and ways to resolve the US tariffs conflict rank high on the agenda. 

Most heads of state and government will go into the European talks straight from a NATO summit, where they pledged a landmark defense spending boost, brushing aside some of their differences with US President Donald Trump.

Stay tuned as we get you the latest news and analyses from the EU summit.