Ukraine envoy row hijacks EU leaders’ first AI summit

European Union leaders gathered in Dublin on November 13, 2026, for an informal meeting of the European Political Community that was intended to be the bloc's first dedicated AI summit. According to the official remarks by European Council President António Costa at the post-meeting press conference, the search for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine became the central theme of the discussions, overshadowing the planned artificial intelligence agenda.

Costa outlined three unchanged European priorities for any peace negotiations. First, Ukraine is a sovereign nation that must remain free to choose its alliances and partnerships, and Europe will not allow a return to empires or zones of influence. Second, the future of European security cannot be decided without Europe, and the EU is engaging as a team alongside NATO and European nations side by side with Ukrainian partners. Third, Europe has an established security architecture that Russia has undermined by force, culminating in the invasion of Ukraine, and the EU remains determined to uphold the principles of international law that have guided peaceful European nations for decades.

Costa noted that so far there has been limited concrete progress toward peace because Russia continues to focus on escalating the war and has yet to demonstrate that it prioritises peace over dominance. He emphasised that as the pace of diplomacy accelerates, a lasting peace must be a just peace anchored in clear principles. The meeting was hosted by Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, and Costa concluded by thanking Martin for the hospitality and congratulating him on a successful meeting, while also extending best wishes to Swiss President Parmelin for organising the next edition of the European Political Community in Switzerland.