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Sunday, May 18, 2025
Outside the box.
European Political Community Summit Addresses Key Issues in Tirana
Leaders Gather to Discuss Security, Economic Competitiveness, and Immigration amid Ongoing Ukraine Conflict
On May 16, 2025, the sixth summit of the European Political Community (EPC) convened in Tirana, Albania, under the theme "The New Europe in a New World." Co-chaired by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and European Council President António Costa, the summit brought together leaders from 47 European countries, including both EU member states and non-EU countries, excluding Russia and Belarus.
This meeting focused on several critical issues, including security, global competitiveness, and immigration, and highlighted the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the summit and expressed disappointment over the recent Istanbul talks, where the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022 took place.
The discussions in Istanbul, which lasted less than two hours, did not yield a ceasefire agreement but resulted in an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners from each side.
Preliminary proposals for a truce were discussed, as well as the potential for a high-level meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a series of brief phone calls, Zelensky conferred with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, reaffirming a united stance that pressure on Russia must continue until it is prepared to conclude the hostilities.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did not attend the restricted meeting, signaling her dissatisfaction with recent engagements.
In response to Russia's refusal to negotiate directly, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced plans for a new round of sanctions against Moscow.
This move follows the approval by EU member state ambassadors of the 17th package of restrictive measures and includes sanctions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.
Von der Leyen emphasized that President Putin’s absence from the Istanbul negotiations underscored a lack of seriousness in the negotiation process, a sentiment echoed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who critiqued the low-level delegation sent by Russia as a strategic error.
The summit's agenda consisted of three thematic round tables focusing on security and resilience, economic competitiveness, and migration, mobility, and youth.
Following these sessions, a second plenary meeting was held, during which the next EPC summit was scheduled for the autumn in Denmark.
This meeting focused on several critical issues, including security, global competitiveness, and immigration, and highlighted the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the summit and expressed disappointment over the recent Istanbul talks, where the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since March 2022 took place.
The discussions in Istanbul, which lasted less than two hours, did not yield a ceasefire agreement but resulted in an agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners from each side.
Preliminary proposals for a truce were discussed, as well as the potential for a high-level meeting between Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a series of brief phone calls, Zelensky conferred with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, reaffirming a united stance that pressure on Russia must continue until it is prepared to conclude the hostilities.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did not attend the restricted meeting, signaling her dissatisfaction with recent engagements.
In response to Russia's refusal to negotiate directly, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced plans for a new round of sanctions against Moscow.
This move follows the approval by EU member state ambassadors of the 17th package of restrictive measures and includes sanctions on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines.
Von der Leyen emphasized that President Putin’s absence from the Istanbul negotiations underscored a lack of seriousness in the negotiation process, a sentiment echoed by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who critiqued the low-level delegation sent by Russia as a strategic error.
The summit's agenda consisted of three thematic round tables focusing on security and resilience, economic competitiveness, and migration, mobility, and youth.
Following these sessions, a second plenary meeting was held, during which the next EPC summit was scheduled for the autumn in Denmark.
