Statement by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the Meeting of the European Council in Brussels, 18 December 2025

Dáil Éireann

Wednesday 14 January 2026

Introduction

Ceann Comhairle,

I attended a meeting of the European Council on 18 December in Brussels.

Substantial items for discussion included Ukraine; the EU’s next multi-annual budget, or MFF; the situation in the Middle East; EU enlargement; and Europe’s competitiveness in a changing global context.

Other items on the agenda were European security and defence; migration; the fight against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia; the Pact for the Mediterranean; disinformation; and a proposal for a regional strategy for the Atlantic.

I will deal with Ukraine, the MFF, Middle East, enlargement, global competitiveness, and the fight against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia. Minister Bryne will later speak to other issues.

Ukraine

Support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing illegal war of aggression was the main item in our discussions.

After almost 4 years of brutal Russian aggression, and as US led peace efforts continue, it is more important than ever that the EU continues and strengthens its support for Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy briefed us on the current situation in Ukraine, both on the battlefield and in Russia’s escalating strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

I joined my colleagues in reconfirming our commitment to providing comprehensive political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support to Ukraine and its people.

To this end, we discussed how the EU will actively participate in peace efforts, and our readiness to contribute to robust and credible security guarantees for Ukraine as part of a peace agreement.

These guarantees are being advanced through the Coalition of the Willing, of which Ireland is a member, and in cooperation with the United States.

The Coalition met on 11 December, when I attended, and on 6 January, when Minister McEntee attended on my behalf.

In the meantime, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine continues to intensify, with large scale drone and missile attacks on cities continuing to result in widespread destruction and the death of civilians, including children.

This is not the behaviour of a country interested in peace.

To ensure Ukraine can meet its needs and that can remain strong in its negotiating position, at our meeting in October, the European Council agreed to help Ukraine to meet its financing needs in 2026 and 2027.

At our December meeting we agreed a loan of €90 billion to ensure it has timely and predictable finance over the coming two years.

This will be provided through enhanced cooperation, in which Ireland will participate. The money will be borrowed by the Commission, backed by the EU budget.

EU leaders were also in agreement that Russia should be held accountable for its actions and should have to pay for the destruction it has caused.

I welcome the unprecedented decision to ensure that Russia’s sovereign assets should remain immobilised until it ceases its war and compensates Ukraine for the damage it has caused.

Work will now continue on the technical and legal dimensions of establishing a Reparations Loan based on the cash balances associated with Russia’s immobilised assets.

In line with our commitment to ensuring full accountability for Russia’s war crimes, the European Council also called for sustained efforts to operationalise the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, with the framework of the Council of Europe.

Leaders also agreed that it is important to maintain pressure on Russia to agree to a ceasefire and engage meaningfully in peace negotiations.

Ireland has consistently supported robust targeted sanctions in response to Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine.

Following agreement at the end of October on a 19th package of sanctions, the European Council called for work to continue on a 20th package of sanctions, with the aim of adopting it as soon as possible after its presentation in early 2026.

The European Council also called for further action to counter Russia’s shadow fleet, which will further squeeze Russian energy revenues and will address the other significant risks, including environmental, that the shadow fleet poses.

Ireland has always been a strong supporter of Ukraine’s EU perspective, and I continue to advocate at European level for accelerated progress on Ukraine’s EU accession.

Ukraine belongs in the EU, and its membership will not only provide security for Ukraine but will also bolster Europe’s security.

I therefore welcome that the European Council reaffirmed its steadfast support for Ukraine’s path towards EU membership and welcomed the significant progress Ukraine has achieved so far under the most challenging circumstances.

Next Multi-annual Financial Framework

The December European Council had a first exchange of views on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework on foot of the proposals presented by the European Commission in July.

Our discussion was informed by the draft “negotiating box” developed over recent months by the Danish Presidency of the Council, which sets out the core issues that will ultimately require political decisions.

The proposals on the table involve major changes to the EU budget, in terms of structure, spending and revenue, and we are studying them in detail.

There are likely to be difficult negotiations ahead given the competing demands and financing needs across a range of policy areas.

Ireland has been clear that strongly funded and ring-fenced Common Agricultural and Fisheries Policies remain a priority for us.

The Government’s priorities also include an ambitious Horizon Europe research programme that prioritises excellence; development of cross-border infrastructure; maintenance of humanitarian and development aid; and continuation of the PEACEPLUS programme.

The Government also considers that the new MFF must continue to promote and protect the values of human dignity, freedom, equality and solidarity, as enshrined in the EU treaties.

We have also made clear our view that contributions based on each Member State’s Gross National Income (GNI) remains the fairest and simplest way to provide the EU with the resources it needs.

Overall, we wish to ensure that the next MFF brings EU added value.

It is only by working together with our EU partners that we can make progress on the big issues.

I have made clear to President Costa that I fully support his objective of reaching political agreement in the European Council by the end of this year during Ireland’s Presidency.

Middle East

The European Council assessed the situation in Gaza as implementation of the Comprehensive Plan continues.

The ceasefire remains fragile and the humanitarian situation continues to be very difficult.

We welcomed the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803 on the establishment of the Board of Peace and of a temporary International Stabilisation Force.

We called on all parties to implement the Resolution in its entirety, and in line with relevant international political and legal principles

The European Council reiterated the EU’s commitment to contributing to this implementation, including through an enhanced mandate for the European Union Border Assistance Mission for the Rafah Crossing Point and the European Union Police Mission for the Palestinian Territories.

We also said that we stand ready to support the establishment of the Board of Peace and that we will actively engage with partners on the next steps.

The European Council reaffirmed the EU’s strong commitment to international law and to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution.

For my part, I stressed the need for the EU to do all we can to alleviate the appalling humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Despite commitments given the Comprehensive Plan, the level of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza remains nowhere near enough and this is very worrying as people particularly children are still suffering.

The European Council also condemned the massive increase in settler violence against Palestinian civilians and underlined the importance of de-escalation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

We emphasised the importance of stability in Lebanon and Syria to allow them to recover from conflict and highlighted the importance of UNIFIL to Lebanon.

We insisted that all parties - Israel and Hezbollah - must abide by the terms of UNSCR 1701 and condemned attacks on UNIFIL peacekeepers.

Having visited the Irish contingent in UNIFIL in December, I observed for myself again the excellent job they are doing in very challenging circumstances.

Geo-economy and Competitiveness

Leaders also held a strategic discussion on the geoeconomic situation and its implications for the EU’s competitiveness.

Informed by the Letta and Draghi reports, the European Council set important orientations last year on re-establishing a much stronger political focus on economic competitiveness, dynamism and productivity growth.

This included the immediate priorities of simplifying regulation, lowering energy costs, and strengthening the link between private savings and investments.

Unlocking the full potential of the Single Market is also vitally important.

Leaders will return to competitiveness issues at an informal meeting of the European Council dedicated to the topic in Belgium on 12 February.

Our goal should be nothing less than making Europe the best place in the world to start and grow a business, including through a completely modernised digital environment and significantly strengthened research and innovation system.

This will be the foundation for future prosperity that must underpin our shared values and wider political objectives.

Enlargement and Reform

Prior to the December European Council, I joined fellow EU leaders, and the leaders of five countries in the Western Balkans for an EU-Western Balkans summit.

This annual meeting is a welcome opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the EU membership perspective for the countries of the Western Balkans – an investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity in our neighbourhood.

At the European Council, Leaders held a strategic discussion on how to advance enlargement calling on candidate and potential candidate countries to continue implementing the necessary reforms to align with EU law.

The EU of the future will be larger, and we therefore also need to undertake internal reforms to ensure that we can remain effective as a Union of more Member States.

The Commission has already undertaken considerable work in that regard and is expected to share its policy reviews with Member States in the course of 2026.

Ireland has long been a strong advocate for enlargement and making progress will be a priority of our Presidency in the second half of this year.

I believe that we can close all negotiating chapters with Montenegro by the end of our Presidency and make significant progress in the accession negotiations with Albania, Ukraine and Moldova.

Fight against antisemitism, racism and xenophobia

As the House is aware, antisemitism is a growing scourge around the world. It must be stamped out wherever it arises.

The European Council reflected on the evil gun attack targeting Sydney’s Jewish community gathered on Bondi Beach to celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah, and we condemned all forms of antisemitism and hate, intolerance, racism and xenophobia.

I look forward to the forthcoming EU Anti-Racism Strategy, due to be published shortly.

Leaders will return to many of these issues to assess progress and discuss further actions at the next formal meeting of the European Council in March.

Before concluding, I am sure this House will join me in expressing full support for Denmark and our solidarity with the people of Greenland.

The future of Greenland is a matter to be determined by Denmark and by Greenlandic people in line with well-established democratic principles and international law.

Ireland has consistently underlined that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States is a fundamental principle of the United Nations Charter and it must be respects in all circumstances.

The meeting of the European Council in December was another crucial one. I am sure that there are many more to come as we grapple with the challenges of an uncertain world and seek to protect and advance our values, security and prosperity.

I look forward to continuing our discussions in this House on this very important agenda for Ireland, especially as we take up the responsibility of the EU Presidency from the first of July.

Thank You.

ENDS