Closing summary
We are now closing the blog.
Here is your summary of the day so far:
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Ireland’s prime minister Micheál Martin has pledged to “give it our all” as Ireland begins its six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union and lead the bloc’s discussions on the next EU budget, Ukraine, and accession talks (15:24).
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Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union will be one of the central issues of the presidency, with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy urging the bloc to “show that the EU keeps its promises” (15:39).
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Ever an optimist, the European Council president António Costa said “we will be counting on the Irish humour and charm to see us through” (15:46).
In other news,
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At least five people were killed and more injured in a fire in a 10-storey apartment tower in the Belgian city of Antwerp (13:07, 13:35), with the country’s monarch and prime minister set to visit the scene later today (16:49).
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A rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics has defied Pope Leo by ordaining bishops without his consent, which they declared a “sacred duty” despite it causing their automatic excommunication.
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Canada will join the Eurovision song contest in 2027, becoming the first new participant since Australia in 2015, organisers have announced.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Meanwhile, the Belgian authorities revised the death toll of the apartment fire in Antwerp down to five (15:00), with an unknown number of people also injured in the incident.
The fire is now reportedly under control, and the country’s monarch, King Philippe, will visit the scene later today, accompanied by the prime minister, Bart de Wever, local media reported.
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Inauguration of Ireland's EU Council presidency in Dublin - in pictures
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And that’s it, with the guests now departing the main event, with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy getting a warm round of applause again.
As we move into the cultural part of the ceremony, just a reminder that you can watch it here:
Ireland's 'wisdom and positivity' will help guide Europe next, EU's Costa says
Earlier, the European Council president, António Costa, said he hoped to see “the wisdom and positivity gained through Ireland’s journey in the European Union to help guide Europe through this challenging global geopolitical juncture.”
Going through a to-do list longer than a Leonard Cohen song, Costa says “Ireland’s European experience puts you in the right position to be an honest broker in these negotiations.”
“It will be challenging, but I am confident we will reach a deal until the end of this year – and we will be counting on the Irish humour and charm to see us through.”
No pressure, Ireland.
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EU needs to show it keeps its promises on Ukraine's accession talks, Zelenskyy says
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy is speaking next.
He wishes Ireland’s best success during the presidency, and says:
“When we face many other challenges both in international affairs and at the national level across Europe, the EU has an opportunity and a responsibility to be a force that brings more stability, more productivity, and basic respect for human life, the kind of life everyone wants for themselves, their children, and their families.”
He says he hopes with Ireland at the helm, the EU will be able to “make real progress on the drone deal that Ukraine has proposed,” and on “supporting every step that makes it harder for Russia to continue [this] war.”
But he also points out to a number of areas where the EU could tighten its rules to put more pressure on Moscow, including on further restrictions on EU companies that still do business with Russia.
Zelenskyy also says he wants to open more accession clusters between Ukraine and the EU to make progress towards accession to the EU.
“Steps like opening new clusters strengthen the motivation of our people, lift the spirit of Ukrainians and show that the EU keeps its promises. It is so important to keep promises and that is exactly how it should be,” he says.
He gets warm applause at the end of his speech.
'Ready to give it our all,' Ireland's Martin pledges as Ireland takes over EU presidency
At the ceremony, attended by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Martin pledged Ireland’s continued support for Ukraine.
We will stand unswervingly by the people of Ukraine, inspired by their courage, and determined to ensure that they get the peace and justice they deserve.
Holding the presidency is an honour and a responsibility, and we are ready to give it our all.
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Martin: 'Ireland has always been a deeply European country'
In his speech at the ceremony, Ireland’s prime minister, Micheál Martin, said his country “has always been a deeply European country”.
From the monks who travelled Europe, keeping the light of learning alive through the dark ages, to the young Erasmus students of today, we’ve always been proud Europeans.
Together with our European partners, we have built a union that we are honoured to call home. We have weathered storms and crises together and we have celebrated in joy together, knowing that we are always stronger together.
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The ceremony marking the start of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union at Dublin Castle has begun, you can watch that here:
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An update on the fire in Antwerp, where authorities have raised the death toll to six.
Reuters reported survivors of the fire in a 10-storey apartment block in the Belgian city described being trapped inside until police and firefighters arrived shortly after the blaze started in the morning. The building was believed to house about 200 people, according to the news agency.
In his speech, Martin said there was “an urgent need to improve Europe’s competitiveness”.
He added:
We have to plan for how we’re going to get there. It is one of our most important tasks of presidency, and I look forward to briefing my fellow leaders on progress at the meetings of the European Council in the autumn.”
In Dublin, António Costa, the president of the European Council, has delivered a speech at a press conference with Ireland’s prime minister, Micheál Martin, at the launch of the Irish presidency of the EU council.
Costa says the Irish presidency comes at a pivotal moment, as Europe faces a demanding six months in which it must deliver on competitiveness, security and the EU’s next long-term budget.
In his remarks, he said:
In the face of growing external pressures on our prosperity, the European Union has set itself the goal to become both more competitive and more autonomous. Indeed, after having defence as a main focus in 2025, 2026 is the year of European competitiveness.
That is why we have set ourselves an ambitious ‘One Europe, One Market’ agenda. Over the next six months, we must deliver on its implementation. And it is hard to think of a better pilot to guide the European Union in this work than Ireland.”
He added:
As for Europe’s values and Europe’s security – they are being put to the test in a challenging global geopolitical context. But in navigating these difficult waters, the European Union has a clear compass – international law – and a clear map – multilateralism and the rules based international order. That is another reason why Ireland – with its consistent and principled defence of both multilateralism and international law – is the right presidency at the right time.”
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At least five people killed in Antwerp fire, police say
Back to Antwerp, the local police have confirmed to local media that at least five people died in the fire, with searches still continuing.
The emergency services are still there responding to the incident.
Zelenskyy arrives in Ireland for EU presidency events
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has just arrived in Ireland for today’s EU presidency events.
In a post on X, he says:
“Arrived in Ireland to take part in the opening ceremony of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union. I will also meet with taoiseach Micheál Martin and President of the European Council António Costa.
Every day, Ukraine proves that it deserves to be an equal part of our shared European home. And we hope that during Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union, we will be able to achieve tangible progress on the path to membership and open all negotiating clusters.”
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Several reportedly killed, injured in apartment block fire in Antwerp
Several people were killed and many injured in a fire that broke out on Wednesday morning in an apartment block in the Belgian city of Antwerp, local police said on their website.
The local fire department received a call at 9:53 am regarding a “raging fire” in the eighth floor of a 10-floor apartment block in the Linkeroever area of Antwerp, police said, as reported by Reuters. The operation is still ongoing.
There is very little clarity as to the exact number of killed and injured at this stage, as emergency services are still responding to the incident.
The building reportedly house more than 200 people.
I will bring you more on this as soon as we have more details.
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The presser ends with a couple of questions on the strait of Hormuz and Germany’s plans to contribute to allied minesweeping operations there, with Merz and Pistorius both saying essentially they need a working ceasefire first, and that’s it.
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Rutte, Merz insist US is committed to supporting Ukraine
Rutte gets a tricky question about the US commitment to helping Ukraine, but he stays on message.
He says “when it comes to the defence of Ukraine, the US is still indispensable,” as he points to the flow of US armaments into Ukraine, paid for by Canadians and Europeans.
Merz jumps in to highlight the conclusions adopted at the recent G7 summit, with clear support for Ukraine.
“The US president was with us, he signed the document, and so this is the clear position of those who are in G7, and that is something we can rely on when we have this meeting next week,” he says.
Merz gets asked about Germany’s preparation for Nato summit next week.
He repeats Pistorius’s favourite line that “Nato needs to become more European in order to remain transatlantic.”
He says Nato is changing not purely under pressure from Trump, but “in our own interest.”
Riiiiight.
There are also some questions about domestic issues and the government’s reform agenda, but Merz says he will brief the press on that tomorrow.
Merz and Pistorius get asked about reported deals with the US to produce US weapons under licence in Germany, and whether that contradicts the message of making Nato more European.
They say that’s not the case, and it’s part of that transition, as Europeans do not have certain systems – “not yet” – and so they can help with the US capacity in the meantime.
“We want to become more independent, but we don’t want to do without closer cooperation with the US,” Pistorius say.
'We must keep up pressure on Russia,' Rutte tells Germany ahead of Nato summit
Nato’s Rutte begins with lavish praise for Germany, as he says “Germany leads and Germany delivers.”
He says Germany is “on track to invest 3.5% in GDP in defence by 2029,” which he says is “an extraordinary achievement.”
“Increasing defence investments means making tough decisions, but it is the right thing to do when we face a more dangerous world,” he says.
He also hails Germany as “an industrial powerhouse with major defence companies and world-class research institutions.”
“Nato’s message to industry across the alliance is clear: be ready, speed up, work together, open new production lines, expand supply chains, and deliver quickly what we need to our security. Deterrence is built in factories as much as is projected by our armed forces.”
He also praises Germany’s new deployments, including in Estonia, Lavia, Lithuania.
He says Berlin is “a leader on Ukraine,” as he adds:
“We agree we must keep up the pressure on Russia, even when its war against Ukraine ends, Russia will remain a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security.”
Pistorius talks about changes in the German military reserve system, with “the Bundeswehr building up.”
He talks about reforms needed to allow to mobilise reservists better and more efficiently.
“Mark, we’re doing all we can to strengthen our operational readines as the biggest Nato partner in Europe, all this in the spirit of national and collective defence,” he tells Rutte.
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Merz says Germany is “speeding up” our work on improving its defence preparedness, as “this is necessary in a situation where we, as Europeans, need to quickly and resolutely show responsibility for our freedom and security and prosperity.”
Defence minister Pistorius steps up next, talking about “a lot of work [done] over the past few years,” improving Germany’s readiness to respond to any potential problems.
'Up to Putin to engage' with talks to end war in Ukraine, Merz says as he welcomes Nato's Rutte
Merz opens the press conference, welcoming Rutte to Berlin.
He says the meeting comes just a week before the Nato summit in Ankara, with all countries “engaged in intensive preparations.”
He says he will also host his Baltic counterparts later this week to “send out a message of unity and strength.”
Merz says Europeans want to “give Nato a more European dimension,” and “reduce unilateral transatlantic dependency.”
He points out Germany’s move to step up its defence spending under this government, and talks about Berlin’s continuing support for Ukraine.
“We will not waver in our support for Ukraine, and we hope to see Russia willing to engage in negotiations soon,” he says, hinting at new financial pledges to support Ukraine at the summit next week.
“It is now up to Putin to engage in these talks and end the war,” he adds.
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I am keeping an eye on that Rutte/Merz press conference (10:58) and will bring you the key lines as soon as they show up.
Call to suspend new EU border system in peak holiday period as planes leave half full
Meanwhile, airlines and airports have called for the new EU biometric border check system to be suspended during the peak summer holiday period, saying some flights are leaving half full and passengers are struggling in queues of up to five hours.
In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, airlines and airports asked for an option to suspend checks under the system over fears the situation will get much worse during the busy summer season.
“We have reached a critical point,” said the industry groups ACI Europe, which represents airports, Airlines 4 Europe and the International Air Transport Association, which represents airlines. “Passengers have already been forced to queue for extended periods outside terminal buildings and on exposed aprons because border control facilities cannot process arrivals quickly enough.
“Airlines face half-empty planes at gate closing time, while passengers are stuck in border control queues.”
Some planes have had to delay takeoff while waiting for passengers, with the groups saying that queues are reaching up to five hours at peak times, while others have had to leave passengers behind.
The groups called on the commission to allow airports to “completely suspend” checks “whenever passenger volumes exceed the operational capacity of border control facilities” during July and August.
Ireland’s foreign minister Helen McEntee has been speaking to the country’s national broadcaster, RTÉ.
She said the EU presidency would give Ireland “significant access” on key areas of the EU’s policymaking, allowing it to make the best use of its experienced diplomats.
It’s the eighth time Ireland will host the EU presidency.
She also said she was looking forward to meeting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy later today, and that Ireland would offer support to Ukraine in “whatever way possible,” RTÉ reported.
Nato's Rutte visits Berlin for talks with Merz, Pistorius
Even before the Dublin event gets under way, we should hear from Nato’s secretary general Mark Rutte who is in Berlin today, where he is attending a cabinet meeting and meeting with Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz and defence minister Boris Pistorius.
The trio have a press conference scheduled in about an hour from now.
I will bring you all the key lines here.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy is expected to land in Dublin shortly before the formal ceremony this afternoon, and will meet with top Irish officials for bilateral talks afterwards.
For Ireland, supporting Ukraine would be “an important priority for us during our term”, PM Martin said in a statement quoted by the Irish Times, adding that the leaders would also discuss how to increase pressure on Russia.
Ukraine could join EU during war with Russia, but it will be 'merit-based' process, Irish PM says
Ireland’s prime minister Micheál Martin suggested Ukraine could join the EU even during the war with Russia.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Martin said the process will be conducted on “a merit-based approach,” and insisted the EU “wants the war to end,” but the accession could still happen during the conflict.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected in Dublin today as part of the presidency ceremony.
He also told RTÉ that Ireland wants to reach a political agreement on the next EU budget “by the end of the year,” but he acknowledged it would be “a mammoth task.”
But he said the budget will not include more spending on defence than agriculture.
“Some [member states] who want to spend more, some who want to spend less, quite a significant number who want to protect the common agricultural policy, cohesion funding, and then new areas like competitiveness funding and research, additional money for research funding, which actually is the key to new products and new ideas of the future.”
Morning opening: Ireland takes presidency of the EU
Ireland is set to take over the rotating presidency of the EU Council today at a ceremony at Dublin Castle attended by some of the EU’s top figures – and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
An opening ceremony will take place 2pm local time, followed by a press conference. I will bring you all the key lines here.
It has been 13 years since it last chaired the works of the bloc, and the to do list is only longer this time round.
EU member states will be looking at Ireland to help navigate political talks on new sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine, as well as tricky accession talks with Moldova, Ukraine and other candidates.
But critics also ask some tough questions on Ireland’s credibility to lead the bloc’s work on digital given so many of US Big Tech companies – so fiercely defended by Donald Trump - are headquartered in the country.
Elsewhere, Nato’s Mark Rutte will be in Berlin today, as he tours EU capitals ahead of next week’s Nato summit in Ankara.
I will bring you all the latest.
It’s Wednesday, 1 July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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