European Council President António Costa visited Latvia and Lithuania on Wednesday (26 Aug) as part of his annual tour of EU capitals, where discussions focused on the European Union’s 2028–2034 long-term budget, defence, support for Ukraine and security along the bloc’s eastern border.
The tour, which runs from 25 August to 17 September, is intended to help prepare upcoming European Council meetings and build consensus on the EU’s priorities, including negotiations on the next long-term budget.
Meeting Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Costa said EU leaders aim to reach agreement on the next multiannual budget by the end of 2026 to avoid funding disruptions from 2028.
Key developments:
- Latvia called for greater EU support for eastern member states, citing the economic and security effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- Lithuania urged increased funding for defence, military mobility and critical infrastructure protection.
- Costa reaffirmed support for Ukraine, EU enlargement and strengthening Europe’s defence, competitiveness and strategic resilience within the next EU budget.
- During the first stop of his Baltic tour on Tuesday (25 Aug), António Costa met Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal in Tallinn to discuss the EU’s 2028–2034 long-term budget, support for Ukraine, defence investment and strengthening security in eastern Europe.
The discussions come amid heightened security concerns across the Baltic region following a series of drone incursions into the airspace of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Baltic governments have linked many of the incidents to the spillover effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with officials warning that electronic warfare, hybrid threats and possible false-flag operations underline the need for stronger air defence, border protection and NATO coordination on the alliance’s eastern flank.
ℹ️ EC AV Portal
Follow on social media TikTok@tut0ughInstagram@tut0ugh Threads@tut0ugh X@tut0ugh YouTube@tut0ugh
