Informal meeting of heads of state or government, Copenhagen, 1 October 2025

European Union, 2025

“Our meeting today had one core theme: safeguarding the security of our continent”, - President Costa, 1 October 2025.

The leaders will return to both topics at the next European Council meeting on 23-24 October 2025.

The meeting was chaired by the President of the European Council, António Costa, and hosted by the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen. It took place before the meeting of the European Political Community.

• Remarks by President António Costa at the press conference, 1 October 2025 

• Meeting of the European Political Community, 2 October 2025 

• European Council meeting, 23-24 October 2025 

European defence

Faced with a radically changed security situation in Europe, EU leaders discussed how to strengthen our common defence, including issues relating to defence capacities, support for the Eastern flank and governance.

In view of Russia's violations of the airspace in several countries, including Denmark, Poland and Estonia, President Costa underlined the need to build the Europe of defence.

“We are committed to face common threats, on all fronts, whether conventional, hybrid or cyber, with a common purpose”, - President Costa, 1 October 2025.

In that context, the EU is committed to building up its defence and ramping up its defence readiness by 2030. In recent months, the EU has taken decisive action to achieve that goal, including through the SAFE instrument which mobilises up to €150 billion in loans and other means to channel joint investments that benefit Europe's security as a whole.

In Copenhagen, EU leaders also discussed progress on the nine priority areas in the field of defence that they had identified in March 2025, specifically air and missile defence, artillery, drones and anti-drone systems, military mobility and cyber resilience. In that regard, President Costa stated that the leaders broadly supported priority flagships presented by the Commission and the High Representative, including the European Drone Wall and the Eastern Flank Watch.

In terms of governance and political oversight, President Costa highlighted the need for increased coordination to keep track of progress. In that regard, he stressed that defence ministers need to play a greater role in terms of pushing work forward between European Council meetings and tracking milestones.

• Boosting European defence expenditure (background information) 

• Common defence procurement (background information) 

• EU funding for defence (background information) 

• Special European Council: defence, 6 March 2025 

Support for Ukraine

As Russia intensifies its attacks on Ukraine, the EU is ready to continue to support Ukraine and its people, including with military and financial support. So far, the EU and its member states have provided €177.5 billion in support.

“We are engaged on all fronts to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, - President Costa, 1 October 2025.

The EU has also imposed massive and unprecedented sanctions on Russia. In Copenhagen, President Costa referred to the 19th sanctions package, which will target oil revenues, banks, crypto and the shadow fleet.

With regard to Ukraine's path to EU membership, President Costa underlined that Ukraine has been delivering on the accession reforms and that it is time for the EU to deliver, as enlargement is a merit-based process that will help make Europe stronger.

President Costa also reported that the leaders had held an initial discussion on how to mobilise further funds for Ukraine. In that regard, he emphasised that Russia has to understand that Ukraine's partners have both the will and the means to continue to provide support until a just and lasting peace is achieved.

• EU military support for Ukraine (background information) 

• Ukraine: EU enlargement (background information)

• EU sanctions against Russia (background information)