European Council President António Costa convened a virtual meeting of EU leaders on Tuesday to debrief on Monday’s summit in Washington, which involved Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump, and European leaders.

On August 14, President of the European Council António Costa made a phone call to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev.

EU Council on Monday extended sanctions on Russia for a further six months, until January 31, 2026.

The European Council meeting follows closely after Wednesday’s NATO summit, where 32 allied countries pledged to achieve a defense spending target of 5 percent of GDP by 2035.

European Council President Antonio Costa met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Friday, where they discussed global peace efforts during their first meeting.

Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on Friday held a meeting with President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Tirana, News.Az reports, citing AZERTAC.

Europe must focus on further strengthening its economy, the former President of the European Council, Charles Michel, said on Thursday.

By Samir Muradov

On March 6, European Union leaders gathered for an extraordinary summit to approve plans for a substantial increase in defense spending and to demonstrate unity in supporting Ukraine. These steps come amid growing uncertainty about U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who has questioned traditional security guarantees for Europe. The decisions made at the summit signal a new phase in the EU's defense policy, carrying sformignificant economic and political implications.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vetoed the conclusions of the European Council summit concerning support for Ukraine and the creation of a fair peace agreement, which includes solid security guarantees for Ukraine.

The president of the European Council stated on Friday that EU cooperation with like-minded NATO partners is "vital for international security," following a videoconference with leaders of non-EU NATO members.