Ireland takes over EU presidency; Zelenskyy arrives in Dublin

Ireland is set to assume the rotating presidency of the European Union on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, with a ceremony at Dublin Castle attended by top EU officials and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It is the first time in 13 years that Ireland chairs the bloc's work.

During its presidency, Ireland will be expected to lead political discussions on new sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine, as well as complex accession talks with Moldova, Ukraine, and other candidate countries. However, critics question Ireland's credibility to lead the bloc's digital agenda, given that many US Big Tech companies, fiercely defended by Donald Trump, are headquartered in the country.

In an interview with RTÉ, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin indicated that Ukraine could join the EU even during its war with Russia, but the process would be merit-based. He stressed that the EU wants the war to end, but accession could still proceed during the conflict. Martin also said that Ireland aims to reach a political agreement on the next EU budget by the end of the year, acknowledging it would be a mammoth task. He added that the budget would not allocate more to defence than to agriculture.

Separately, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is in Berlin on Wednesday, continuing his tour of EU capitals ahead of next week's NATO summit in Ankara.