EU leaders meet in Brussels on sanctions, China trade and budget talks
EU leaders have gathered in Brussels for a two-day summit that is set to cover sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers, a possible ban on goods from illegal settlements in the West Bank, the next seven-year EU budget and trade imbalances with China. The meeting is the last European Council summit before Ireland takes over the EU presidency in July. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to join the start of the talks.
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The summit agenda also includes an update on the US-Iran memorandum of understanding and the outcome of the G7 summit in Evian, which concluded on Wednesday night. In a statement ahead of the meeting, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said leaders would return to efforts to strengthen European competitiveness in what he described as a challenging geo-economic context. He said he looked forward to a strategic discussion on the EU's global economic and trade relations, including with China.
The Brussels meeting comes at a time when the EU is weighing several sensitive foreign policy and economic questions at once. The discussion on sanctions and a possible settlement-goods ban reflects continuing concern in Europe over the conflict involving Israel and the West Bank. At the same time, the budget talks are expected to shape the priorities of the next Irish presidency, while the debate over China trade points to wider concerns about competitiveness and market access.
Zelensky's attendance at the start of the summit is also significant because he is expected to welcome the opening of accession negotiations earlier this week. That gives the meeting a direct link to Ukraine's long-term relationship with the bloc, even as leaders focus on immediate issues such as security, trade and the EU's next multi-year spending plan. The summit therefore brings together several tracks of European policy that are likely to remain central in the months ahead.
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The meeting also sits within a broader period of shifting diplomatic and economic pressure for the EU. Leaders are being asked to balance support for Ukraine, responses to the Middle East conflict, and the bloc's trade relationship with China, while also preparing for the next institutional cycle under the Irish presidency. Martin said the presidency would aim to make progress on simplification, the single market, fair and open trade, energy prices and digital and AI transformation.
What remains unclear is how far leaders will go on sanctions, whether there will be agreement on restricting goods from West Bank settlements, and how much detail will emerge on the budget and China discussions. It is also not yet clear what conclusions will be drawn from the US-Iran memorandum or the G7 outcome. The summit is expected to continue over two days, with further statements likely after the talks conclude.
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