EU summit: Merz wants trade agreements, but are there decisions?

EU summit: Merz wants trade agreements, but are there decisions?

The EU heads and government heads met on June 26, 2025 in Brussels for an important summit that was characterized by numerous topics. The focus was on support for Ukraine, the location in the Middle East, as well as questions about migration and the customs conflict with the USA. However, it remains to be seen whether this meeting would follow tangible decisions. vienna.at that should not be made specifically for the 18th sanction package against Russia, which would result in some fears

Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany, who experienced his first summit of this kind, showed the urgency of the topics. He supported EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the efforts to increase the competitiveness of Europe and to promote the trade agreement with the USA. An agreement must be reached by July 9th to avoid high US tariffs to EU exports, according to Merz and the Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden.

trade talks and military support

A central concern of the summit was also the unrestricted support of Ukraine, while President Wolodymyr Selenskyj was switched on by video. The EU intends to continue military and economic aid, which is considered significantly significantly by most member states. The Belnagische Premier Bart de Wever underlined the differences between the USA and Europe in relation to Ukraine, which contains the EU's scope for maneuver. In addition, the possible effects of an 18th sanction package against Russia were analyzed, which is specially intended for the energy and banking sector, reported .

noticeable tensions are also evident in the Middle East conflict: an EU test report accused Israel in relation to his approach in Gaza to violate the association agreement with the EU. This led to claims on the part of some EU countries after the agreement was suspended. Countries such as Austria and Germany spoke out against such measures as the Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker noted. Ireland's Premier Micheál Martin also urged an end to violence in Gaza, while the Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob threatened to go to Israel alone, should not be delivered at the summit.

migration policy and sustainable strategies

The European Union continues to be faced with challenges in migration policy. Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his rejection of the EU migration rules and demanded stricter measures. Discussions about a reform of the asylum system, return regulations and the establishment of deportation centers in third countries were carried out intensively. The heads of state and government also showed interest in improving defense skills, which was very important, especially in the context of the NATO summit, which had decided to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.