Bart 
De Wever

The past two days in Copenhagen have been intense, underlining how essential it is to keep frank discussions going at the highest level.

Yesterday, at the Informal European Council, we exchanged views with fellow EU leaders on some of the key challenges ahead: strengthening our common defence, supporting our Eastern flank, and ensuring that we can continue to provide Ukraine with the military and financial assistance it urgently needs. Every step we take to reinforce Ukraine’s resilience is also a step to protect our own security.

Today, the European Political Community brought together leaders from more than 40 European countries, EU and non-EU alike. The value of this platform lies not in grand decisions, but in the opportunity to speak openly and to build trust across borders. I myself had the pleasure of chairing the session on migration. Unfortunately my co-chair, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, had to return to the UK due to the horrific attack on a synagogue in Manchester. My thoughts are with the victims, their families and all those affected.

On the margins of the summit, I also had constructive bilateral exchanges, including with Montenegro, Switzerland and with Moldova. The last one was particularly meaningful given last Sunday’s victory of pro-European democratic voices.

In turbulent times on the world stage, keeping dialogue open with our partners – inside and outside the EU – is not a luxury but a necessity if we want to safeguard the prosperity and security of our continent.