EU Leaders in Dublin to Tackle AI, Ukraine Talks and the Race to Succeed Lagarde at the ECB
At a European Council summit in Dublin on Friday, EU leaders hold their first dedicated discussion on artificial intelligence, while Ukraine talks representation, Kyiv's funding, the EU budget and the ECB succession also loom.
European Union leaders gather in Dublin on 13 November for a European Council summit, with the 27 member states holding their first dedicated discussion on artificial intelligence. According to Politico, however, more immediate disputes crowd the agenda: who will represent Europe in Ukraine peace talks, how to fund Kyiv, what the bloc's next budget will look like, and who will succeed Christine Lagarde as president of the European Central Bank (ECB). Formal talks start at 9:45 a.m., and a press conference is provisionally set for 4:15 p.m.
Artificial intelligence
Leaders will debate how Europe can build its own AI capacity, from computing power and cloud infrastructure to chips and models. European Council President António Costa asked them to consider how Europe can become a leading and sovereign player across the AI value chain. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal argue that Europe can compete at the frontier. The main obstacle is money. French AI company Mistral's CEO Arthur Mensch and AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton will also address the leaders.
Who speaks for Europe on Ukraine
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday, after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, that Europeans will be invited to the next round of negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Europe should pick a single representative, ideally by the end of the month. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas argues that she and Costa should fill the role, and Estonia's prime minister backs her. French President Emmanuel Macron says Europe must first agree on its proposals and security vision, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports the E3 format of Germany, France and the U.K.
Ukraine funding and the budget
Ukraine faces a €70 billion shortfall next year. In a letter to Costa, Merz linked Ukraine funding to talks on the EU's next long-term budget, drawing resistance from some governments. Some lawmakers want frozen Russian assets placed in an EU-controlled structure. The issue is expected to return at the 26–27 November summit. The 2028–2034 budget is not formally on Friday's agenda, and no breakthrough is expected.
ECB leadership
Macron and Merz are expected to discuss Lagarde's succession. Spain's Pablo Hernández de Cos and former Dutch central banker Klaas Knot are the leading contenders. A deal is expected at the late-November summit.
