EU summit: Leaders to address wars, US tariffs, migration – DW – 06/26/2025
Leaders of the European Union are gathering in Brussels for the EU summit on Thursday. They are set to discuss conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the Trump administration tariffs. DW has the latest.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized the need to strike a trade deal with the Trump administation as he arrived for his first EU summit in Brussels since taking office in May.
"Europe is facing crucial weeks and months," Merz said.
"I support the European Commission in all its endeavours to reach a trade agreement with the US quickly."
US President Donald Trump initially imposed high tariffs on many countries, including EU member states, before temporatily suspending the measures. But the suspensions ends on July 9.
Meanwhile, Merz also underlined the imporance of the EU-Mercosur trade deal with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
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.
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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.
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.
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