About 40 countries are expected to declare on Thursday that any matter affecting European security should be decided with the Europeans, according to a draft declaration seen by Reuters.
The declaration comes as European leaders meet in Dublin for a summit of the European Political Community, a gathering that has put Europe’s voice in its own future at the centre of the agenda. It follows weeks of debate over how Europe should respond to talks on Ukraine led by Washington, including a new round of US engagement with Moscow.
“The signatory states recall that the path to peace in Ukraine should be decided with Ukraine and that any matter affecting European security should be decided with the Europeans,” the draft declaration says. The text was initiated by France’s foreign minister and its final list of signatories had not yet been settled.
The draft also states that Ukraine’s security is an integral part of Euro-Atlantic security, and that future developments in European strategic stability will depend on how the war in Ukraine ends.
Beyond Ukraine, the signatories set out support for a series of principles: respect for the sovereign equality of states, the inviolability of borders, the right of countries to choose whether to join alliances, and a commitment to human rights and democratic systems. “International law and the Charter of the United Nations are the cornerstone of this Declaration,” the draft says.
The declaration also backs talks on further risk-reduction measures to support stability in Europe, once conditions allow and peace is restored — a nod to the longer-term question of how the continent organises its security after the war.
French President Emmanuel Macron, arriving at the summit, said the declaration mattered precisely because others were seeking to sideline Europe. “At a time when many would like to see Europe excluded from discussions concerning its own security and stability, this declaration is extremely important because it builds on everything we have done over the past decade,” he said. “But it also recognises the need for a wake-up call, for this broader Europe to act together.”
Note: this report rests on a draft declaration seen by Reuters; the text had not been formally adopted at the time of writing and the final number of signatories was still to be confirmed.
Sources: Reuters — “European security should be decided with Europeans, around 40 countries expected to say” (https://www.reuters.com/world/european-security-should-be-decided-with-europeans-around-40-countries-expected-2026-11-12/)
