Cyprus became the scene of the historic meeting of the leaders of the European Union member states, which takes place on Thursday and Friday. This is the first meeting of the European Council on the island, with the main topics being the conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, strengthening the Union’s defense capabilities and the future long-term EU budget. Slovakia is represented at the summit by Prime Minister Robert Fico. The meeting is informal in nature and its aim is to prepare the ground for the regular June summit in Brussels.
- Cyprus is hosting the first ever informal meeting of European Union leaders.
- Viktor Orbán did not participate in the summit due to the duties associated with handing over the government.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally informed the leaders about the development of the war in Ukraine.
- Cyprus raised the issue of activating the mutual defense clause under the treaty.
- European leaders discussed security and energy cooperation with partners from the Middle East.
The leaders of 26 EU member states are participating in the negotiations, with the exception of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who justified his absence by the duties associated with handing over the government after the electoral defeat. The program began on Thursday evening with a working dinner in the resort of Agia Napa, where the leaders discussed current geopolitical challenges.
Zelensky in Cyprus
One of the key points of the program was a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who attended the summit in person. He was originally scheduled to speak via video, but his presence at the venue was a surprising decision. Zelenskyy briefed leaders on current developments in the war in Ukraine, with his visit coming shortly after EU member states approved a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine and supported the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. These decisions were made possible after the withdrawal of the Hungarian veto.
Slovakia and Hungary conditioned their agreement to the loan on the resumption of oil supplies through the Družba pipeline, which, according to available information, was resolved on Thursday morning. After discussing Ukraine, the leaders focused on the situation in the Middle East, while also addressing the energy and economic consequences of the conflict for the EU.
Obrana a energetika
At the summit, Cyprus raised the issue of activating the mutual defense clause under Article 42, paragraph 7 of the EU Treaty. This topic gained importance after the March drone attacks from Lebanon to Cyprus. At the same time, Brussels is preparing exercises to verify the practical functioning of this mechanism. The leaders also discussed measures to stabilize the energy market, which is facing challenges due to geopolitical conflicts.
On Friday, talks moved to Nicosia, where leaders tackled the EU’s multiannual financial framework for 2028 to 2034. This budget will set the Union’s funding priorities in areas such as defence, energy and economic resilience. The discussions took place with the participation of the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola.
Partners from the Middle East
In the afternoon, EU leaders were joined by representatives of Middle Eastern countries, including the presidents of Egypt, Lebanon and Syria, King Abdullah II of Jordan. and the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States in the Persian Gulf. The main topic of these negotiations was cooperation in the field of security, energy and economy.
Although the informal summits do not produce official conclusions, the meeting in Cyprus provided a space for an exchange of views and political guidance on the current challenges facing the EU and its partners.
