Building a Secure and Connected Continent Amid Geopolitical Shifts
More than 50 European heads of state and government gathered in Dublin, Ireland, on November 12, 2026, for the ninth summit of the European Political Community. The forum took place at Dublin Castle under Ireland's presidency of the Council of the European Union. Co-chaired by European Council President António Costa and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, the single-day gathering brought leaders from European Union member states and non-EU European nations. Discussions centered on support for Ukraine, European industrial competitiveness, and geopolitical pressures.
During working sessions, the United Kingdom and Ukraine co-hosted a security roundtable on defense industrial production, air defense coordination, and financial assistance packages for Kyiv. Participants emphasized non-EU partners including Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey. Members of the European Parliament issued appeals on November 12 to reinforce diplomatic and economic backing for Greenland amid external sovereignty threats. Leaders exchanged views on trade frictions and tariff risks while maintaining strategic dialogue with Washington.
Following the EPC summit on Thursday evening, the 27 heads of state and government of the European Union remained in Dublin for an informal European Council meeting scheduled for Friday, November 13. According to official schedules published by the Irish Presidency, Friday's discussions will focus on coordinated European Union measures on housing affordability, single-market regulations, and clean energy grid investments.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in closed-door briefings that accelerating investments under the European Defense Industrial Strategy remains essential to reducing strategic dependencies on suppliers. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer held bilateral talks with EU counterparts, reaffirming London's commitment to structured United Kingdom-European Union security cooperation. Although Ireland maintains military neutrality, Dublin participated in discussions on protecting transatlantic subsea telecommunications cables and interconnected offshore energy grids. Leaders pledged winter energy grid equipment deliveries to support Ukrainian municipalities facing infrastructure attacks.
