The European Council in Brussels adopted conclusions on Ukraine unanimously for the first time since December 2024, and agreed to extend economic sanctions against Russia for a full year instead of the previous six-month cycle. The decisions, confirmed by EU officials, mark a procedural shift enabled by the departure of Hungary’s former prime minister Viktor Orbán, whose successor Péter Magyar has adopted a more pro-European stance. The sanctions renewal, previously requiring unanimous consent every six months, will now provide longer-term predictability for Kyiv and reduce the frequency of potential veto points.

The summit was overshadowed by irritation over European Council President António Costa’s unilateral diplomatic contacts with Moscow. According to German government circles, Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the move as an “affront” and stressed that Costa represents the EU but is not a mediator. French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders also expressed displeasure, with German officials calling the initiative “uncoordinated” and “unprofessional.” Costa’s office confirmed that his chief of staff had held two brief telephone calls with Russian counterparts to open a diplomatic channel, without substantive exchange or negotiations. Costa defended the step, arguing that the EU must be ready to defend its interests when the right moment for dialogue arrives, and that his role is to preserve unity.

In Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed the EU as an unsuitable negotiating partner, writing in a ministry article that European politicians aim not to negotiate but to “save the Zelensky regime” and maintain Ukraine as a base for confrontation with Russia. He warned of catastrophic consequences from a direct NATO-Russia clash. A Russian senator, Vladimir Dzhaparov, said the sanctions extension would yield no result and that Europe would eventually regret its policy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who addressed the summit, urged faster EU accession talks and called for Europe to assume a more active diplomatic role. He also held a bilateral meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev to discuss energy security and a potential Bulgarian veto over the inclusion of Patriarch Kirill in the next sanctions package.

The return to unanimity follows Orbán’s electoral defeat and the installation of a government that has dropped its predecessor’s frequent blocking of EU statements on Ukraine. The summit conclusions also condemned Russian attacks on UNESCO sites in Ukraine and stated that Russia’s participation in international sports and cultural events should not be normalised until a just and lasting peace is achieved. EU officials indicated that work is proceeding on a 21st sanctions package, which is expected to target 90 additional banks and may include a ban on entry for all Russians who served in the military after February 2022. The next formal step is the legal enactment of the 12-month sanctions rollover, while accession negotiations with Ukraine continue following the opening of the first cluster earlier in the week.