Costa tells Dublin EPC summit Russia is focused on escalation in Ukraine war
President António Costa opened the European Political Community summit in Dublin by framing Russia's war against Ukraine as the central security issue for Europe. He thanked Taoiseach Micheál Martin for hosting the meeting and said the EPC had, since its first summit in Prague in October 2022, become the forum where the whole European continent discusses security under the shadow of Russia's war.
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Costa said Europe's security is inseparable from Ukraine's security and that collective security depends on achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. He said Ukraine, like every sovereign nation at the table, must be free to choose its partners, allies and future, adding that the era of zones of influence in Europe is over.
He said Europe's security cannot be discussed without a European voice at the table, describing that voice as a team effort between European nations, the European Union and NATO. He also said any discussion of a future European security architecture must account for the fact that the previous structure was gradually undermined and ultimately destroyed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Costa said the EU would continue defending these principles alongside Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He said Europe's priorities were clear: first a ceasefire, then concrete and tangible progress in the Black Sea, and work toward the conditions for a peace agreement.
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He said Russia's true interest in peace remained the main outstanding question, and accused Moscow of focusing on escalation and attacks on Ukrainian civilians, saying the next weeks would be a decisive test of Russia's willingness to stop the war.
