Dublin is hosting the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, an event described as the largest diplomatic operation in Ireland’s history. Security and the shared challenges facing European countries are at the heart of the meeting.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin welcomed more than 50 leaders from EU and non-EU countries. Participants include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
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The meeting is taking place during Ireland’s EU presidency, under extraordinary security measures and with road traffic restrictions. More than 15,000 12-hour police shifts have been scheduled over a 72-hour period. Bomb threats and alerts affecting several Irish media outlets and airlines have prompted a further tightening of security.
The incidents have raised suspicions of a possible link to Russia’s hybrid warfare against European countries that support Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron, however, urged against jumping to conclusions about who was responsible.
Macron expressed deep concern about the wave of bomb alerts and other threats, stressing that the situation is being monitored with the utmost vigilance. He said the reliable information available is not yet sufficient to identify those responsible and that, at this stage, it cannot be said that the calls were organized by foreign powers.
The war in Ukraine is among the summit’s main topics. Zelensky briefed leaders on developments from the latest peace talks in Abu Dhabi, which involved delegations from the United States, Russia, Europe and Ukraine. An agreement to exchange a large number of prisoners appears to be the main concrete achievement so far, while no significant progress has been made toward ending the war. According to the Ukrainian president, the prospect of peace depends largely on President Trump’s willingness to put pressure on Russia.
Participants aim to expand European cooperation on defense, economic security, competitiveness and artificial intelligence, as well as on tackling high energy costs. Democratic resilience is also receiving particular attention, alongside efforts to counter foreign interference and disinformation, especially ahead of elections in several European countries.
Founded on Emmanuel Macron’s initiative after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Political Community brings together EU member and non-member countries to address shared challenges in politics, security and energy. Unlike formal EU summits, these meetings do not end with binding declarations or action plans; their purpose is to encourage direct communication and bilateral meetings between leaders.
