EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday (23 October) to discuss four main priorities: defence preparedness, Russia's frozen assets, support for Ukraine, and competitiveness tied to the green transition and digital sovereignty.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to join via videoconference to update leaders on the situation on the ground and Ukraine’s military needs.
A key topic is the €185bn in Russian assets frozen in the EU. While EU countries have so far only used profits generated by these funds, discussions are now focusing on how the bloc could deploy the cash balances without outright confiscation — a legal and political red line for several capitals.
“The European Council is committed to finding ways to help address Ukraine’s pressing needs for 2026-2027, including for its military and defense efforts. It therefore calls on the commission to present as soon as possible concrete proposals involving the possible use of the cash balances associated with the immobilized Russian assets,” read the draft conclusions seen by EUobserver.
But questions remain on guarantees by EU member states and how the money will be spent.
“Ukraine should have maximum flexibility when it comes to defending itself and keeping the state running," an EU senior diplomat said.
But more money needs to be put on the table. “It is absolutely important that more member states dig deeper in their pockets … to put the money where their mouth has been for the last three years,” the diplomat also said.
The EU is also sharpening its wording on Russia, signalling that recent drone attacks reveal Moscow’s “lack of real political will” to end its war of aggression or engage in peace negotiations.
This comes in the wake of last week’s Donald Trump announcement he will meet Putin in Budapest to discuss ending the Russian-Ukrainian war. There are many legal and political questions around this summit.
Not least, it is still unclear whether Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán will support the summit's conclusions on Ukraine. If blocked, EU leaders are expected to adopt the text with the backing of 26, as already seen in previous European Council meetings this year.
Between July and August, Ukraine received around €7.5bn in financial and humanitarian aid, with 86 percent sourced from EU institutions, though military aid has plunged by 43 percent compared to the first part of the year, according to Germany’s Kiel institute.
On defence, the European Commission will present its 2030 roadmap, which includes the European Drone Defence Initiative, Eastern Flank Watch, the European Air Shield, and the European Space Shield.
Talks will revolve around funding, joint procurement, and strengthening Europe’s defence posture without duplicating Nato efforts.
Other points on the agenda include the 2040 climate goal linked to EU’s support for traditional industries in the green transition, the Middle East, housing and deregulation.
EU leaders will welcome Trump’s Gaza peace plan, pledge reconstruction aid, press Israel to return funds to the Palestinian Authority, and call for the end of illegal settlements in the West Bank, where Israel killed some 1,000 more people. But there is no mention of media access, sanctions, or International Criminal Court (ICC) accountability.
European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde and Eurogroup president Paschal Donohoe will join EU leaders to discuss the economic situation.
Preparation for the EU summit will be done by ministers responsible for European affairs on Tuesday (21 October), when they will also discuss commission omnibus packages, the next European long-term budget and the Article 7 procedure against Hungary given breaches of EU law.
On Wednesday, the EU will use a bilateral summit with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to improve its offer to the north African state, which has emerged as a key regional ally of the bloc on migration control and energy.
Still on Wednesday, the EU-Uzbekistan cooperation council will take place. Uzbekistan’s exports to EU countries totaled $1.4bn [€1.2bn] in 2024, almost tripling compared to four years earlier.
EU foreign affairs ministers will meet on Monday (20 October) in Luxembourg to discuss Russian sanctions, currently held hostage by Austria and Slovakia. Despite the current issues, some EU countries want the commisison to start preparing the next round of sanctions to keep the pressure on Russia.
They will also address sanctions related to Israel's war in Gaza.
“We think that we need to maintain pressure on all parties, and that also means for us that the measures that the commission announced against Israel should not be taken off the table,” the EU senior diplomat said, referring especially to sanctions against Hamas and violent settlers, which are currently being blocked by Budapest.
The 27 ministers are also expected to adopt a position regarding EU-Indo-Pacific relations and Sudan.
Also on Monday, EU energy ministers are expected to reach an agreement on a proposal to gradually phase out gas and oil imports from Russia, with a ban in place by January 2028.
MEPs support the plan but the position of the internal market committee agreed last week calls for a ban on imports of Russian natural gas — both pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) — from 1 January 2026, with exceptions for short and long-term contracts. From the same date, MEPs also want to stop Russian oil imports.
Meanwhile, MEPs will gather in Strasbourg for the second plenary session of October, with a packed agenda.
Key debates on Tuesday will focus on the potential use of Russian frozen assets for Ukraine’s reconstruction and defence, and the Middle East peace plan brokered by Trump and the EU’s role (or lack thereof). On the same day, EU lawmakers will assess the commission's work programme for 2026 and vote on new driving licence rules.
The commission is also expected to present on Tuesday its annual report on simplification, reflecting on the different omnibus proposals.
On Wednesday, MEPs will also hold discussions about their expectations for Thursday's October EU summit, and address the commission proposal to end all energy imports from Russia by 2027.
Belarus opposition leaders Sergey Tikhanovsky and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will address the plenary on the same day, followed by a debate and a resolution vote on the situation in Belarus.
Still on Wednesday, MEPs will also discuss the allegations of espionage by the Hungarian government within EU institutions.
The 2025 Sakharov Prize laureate will also be announced this week. Serbian students, journalists and humanitarian air workers in Gaza and imprisoned journalists Andrzej Poczobut from Belarus and Mzia Amaglobeli from Georgia are the finalists of this year’s award.
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Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.