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European leaders discussed regional security, irregular migration, economic security, and connectivity issues during the fifth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in Budapest, Hungary on November 7, 2024.

The European leaders held detailed discussions on several important issues including the EU-U.S. relations, particularly after the recent U.S. elections and Trump’s victory, as well as the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing escalation of the Middle East conflict.

The meeting was attended by 42 heads of state and government including leaders of the 24 European Union member states as well as officials from Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and San Marino.

Key leaders who attended the meeting included, President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer, President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni, President of Romania Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk.

President of the European Council Charles Michel, who represented the EU, said, “Let’s write together our future anchored in peace, hope, stability, and shared prosperity”.

According to the European Commission statement the EPC aims to “foster political dialogue and cooperation to address issues of common interest and strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of the European continent”.

Today’s #EPC Summit takes place at a crucial time. Europe’s situation is difficult, complex and dangerous. War, migration and economic difficulties are tormenting our continent. It’s high time for European leaders to rise to the challenge! pic.twitter.com/R6yxPC4dL1

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) November 7, 2024

The European Council statement highlighted, “In a changed geopolitical landscape, the EU is determined to achieve economic prosperity, boost competitiveness, become the first climate-neutral continent in the world, and ensure the EU’s sovereignty, security, resilience, and global influence.”

The statement further noted that the “EU leaders will continue to make the EU more sovereign, productive, competitive and sustainable. The EU’s cohesion policy and the efforts to ensure convergence and a level playing field within and beyond the EU will play a part in this.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, “The war launched by Russia against Ukraine is now in its third year, the Middle East is aflame and threatens to escalate, North Africa is embroiled in destabilizing conflict, illegal migration remains a persistent challenge and is nearing its previous peak, and the global economy is facing a level of fragmentation not seen since the Cold War.”

Although there were no formal decisions made during the meeting and the leaders had differing opinions on several issues, the European leaders had a consensus on the necessity of achieving peace in Europe and the need to respond to the U.S. election result. The Hungarian prime minister highlighted, “We need to recognize that significant changes are coming,” adding that “we cannot expect the Americans to be the only ones to protect us.”

Orbán questioned how Europe would handle the €50 billion loan to Ukraine—intended to be jointly financed by the European Union and the United States—if the U.S. chooses not to participate in future funding, and whether Europe is ready to take on this responsibility alone. He pointed out that this amount will likely be insufficient, as further requests for funding are expected, raising questions about who will provide this support and how, as well as which other nations might contribute. He also observed that Europeans are increasingly hesitant to support a war they don’t fully understand, including its purpose, likely duration, and the effectiveness of the sanctions.

Viktor Orbán highlighted, “It is now clear that the pro-peace camp is expanding, and with the US election, it has grown significantly,” noting that “Europe must respond to the new situation created by the US elections”.

Throughout his first term, Trump had a strained relationship with many European leaders. Since then, Trump has stated he would withhold defense support for European allies unless they meet NATO defense spending targets, voiced doubts about the extent of U.S. support for Ukraine, and proposed tariffs on imports that could impact European manufacturers.

The Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has gained immense popularity among certain conservative populists in the U.S. for championing the concept of “illiberal democracy”, which includes restrictions on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights. Earlier in March, Orbán met with then presidential candidate Donald Trump in Florida and expressed his support for him in his election campaign.

On trade issues, the Hungarian prime minister said, Trump is a tough negotiator, warning that “nobody should have any illusions” about the challenging negotiations ahead with the United States over the future trade framework.

Orban has consistently clashed with the EU regarding his anti-immigration initiatives and efforts to increase state control over the judiciary, NGOs, and media, which critics argue have undermined democracy in Hungary. Additionally, Orban has voiced opposition to EU sanctions against Russia, although he ultimately did not veto them, he delayed an EU decision on providing new assistance to Ukraine.

🇭🇺🇪🇺PM Orbán: We are not here to manage decline; we are here to make Europe great again

🤝Today in Budapest, @PM_ViktorOrban hosted an informal #EUCO summit, where EU leaders gathered to discuss Europe’s economic future.

📝 The meeting concluded with the adoption of the… pic.twitter.com/xfCkozymji

— Zoltan Kovacs (@zoltanspox) November 8, 2024

The summit also provided the leaders an opportunity to discuss for critical issues, including informal talks among leaders and efforts to ease regional tensions, notably between Turkiye and other European nations.

Zelenskyy: Ceasefire is impossible without “clear security guarantees”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in the summit meeting to emphasize Ukraine’s ongoing needs amid its conflict with Russia.

He noted an increase in the number of countries supporting Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Zelenskyy informed that the European Political Community Summit yielded new defense agreements to strengthen Ukrainian forces, along with positive steps toward reinforcing air defense before winter.

During his speech, Zelenskyy highlighted that it is impossible to achieve a ceasefire without clear security guarantees for Ukraine. He said, “Talk of a ceasefire is dangerous when there are no security guarantees for Ukraine – clear, real, ones that we can trust, not merely rhetorical assurances. Such a ceasefire prepares the ground for continued occupation of Ukraine and the destruction of our independence and sovereignty.”

The Ukrainian president added, “A simple ceasefire is a model we are hearing about from some leaders here, from Brazil, from China, and importantly, we are definitely hearing it from Russia. This is a great model for Russia. A ceasefire and then the rest? We need to clearly understand what ‘the rest’ is.”

Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of the Ukraine-led Peace Summit, which was attended by more than 100 countries and international organizations, noting that a large number of countries voted in favor of resolutions against Russian aggression and in support of Ukraine at the United Nations. “This is the number of countries that support Ukraine, stand against Russian aggression, recognize the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any independent country,” he added.