5 hours ago
Huge security operation gets under way
Fifty heads of state are gathering in Dublin today to discuss the war in Ukraine and other major issues.
The biggest security operation in the history of the State has been mounted in Dublin as Taoiseach Micheál Martin hosts the ninth meeting of the European Political Community.
It is part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union
We will bring you all the news from these events here today.
5 hours ago
Peace talks
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last night he believes there is a “window of opportunity” to make progress on peace talks with Russia before the end of the year.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to fly into Dublin later today to brief Zelenskiy, having travelled from talks in Abu Dhabi to Moscow, where they were to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin.
4 hours ago
Witkoff and Kushner arrive in Moscow for Putin meeting
Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have arrived at Moscow airport for their meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, ahead of travelling to Dublin.
Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev shared a picture of their arrival, captioned: “Welcoming Steve and Jared to Moscow.”
Donald Trump’s envoys will arrive in Dublin later today where they will brief Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
4 hours ago
Traffic disruption
Travelling around Dublin will be difficult today.
The policing and security operation is the largest undertaken by An Garda Síochána in the history of the State.
For a full list of the road closures around the city, click here.
4 hours ago
Garda drones at Convention Centre
Garda drones will be deployed in the vicinity of the Convention Centre to support the policing and security operation.
Gardaí said the drones will be active in the area until after the policing operation has ended.
The ninth meeting of the European Political Community is the largest diplomatic event in Irish history.
Garda UAS (drones) will be deployed in the vicinity of the Dublin Convention Centre to support the ongoing major policing and security operations.
Garda UAS (Drones) will be active in the area until after the policing operation has ended. #KeepingPeopleSafe pic.twitter.com/jgvT2l8UpR
— gardainfo (@Gardainfo) November 12, 2026
4 hours ago
Ireland in talks to use Ukrainian drone technology for maritime security
Ireland is in talks to use drone technology from Ukraine for maritime security, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.
Following a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Dublin on Wednesday, the Taoiseach said the Department of Defence is exploring a joint memorandum with its Ukrainian counterpart on drone manufacturing and technology.
He said this was given Ukrainian expertise in unmanned drones, with Ireland able to avail of Ukrainian technology for unmanned drones that could be used for maritime security, Jack Horgan-Jones reports.
3 hours ago
Media ready for European leaders
Our Europe Correspondent Jack Power is among the journalists waiting for European leaders at the Convention Centre.
3 hours ago
Which European leaders are expected in Dublin?
Some 50 European leaders are expected at the Convention Centre for the EPC.
This will include French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in Dublin on Wednesday evening.
UK prime minister Andy Burnham will also be in Dublin along with Canadian prime minister Mark Carney.
The meeting will be chaired by the president of the European Council António Costa, while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will also play an important role.
Burnham is expected to co-chair a security and defence roundtable, attend a Ukraine meeting and hold a series of bilateral talks.
The theme of the summit is Europe – strong, secure and connected.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are currently in Moscow to meet Russian president Vladimir Putin. They will touch down in Dublin later to brief Zelenskiy on peace efforts relating to Russia’s war in Ukraine.
3 hours ago
Dublin meeting could have lasting impact
It’s easy to forget, in the midst of all the disruption, that today’s meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) at the Convention Centre in Dublin is the largest international meeting ever hosted by an Irish Government, Bobby McDonagh writes.
It would be easy to get distracted by all of this kerfuffle and disturbance and focus principally on the many challenges of looking after more than 50 high-level delegations in such circumstances.
Read the full story here.
3 hours ago
Taoiseach says ‘there will be positives for a long time to come’ from hosting EU summit
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said there will be positives for the country for a long time from the hosting of the EU summit in Dublin.
He said he wanted to thank the people of Dublin “for putting up with this”. He acknowledged there had been “a lot of disruption” to traffic and other aspects of life in the city centre.
“We have an obligation as well, as a country, in terms of our membership of the European Union. But there will be positives from this for the country for a long time to come, in my view.
“I want to thank the Gardaí and our Defence Forces for the extraordinary amount of preparation,” he told RTÉ Radio’s Morning Ireland.
“I’ve been to other EPC meetings in different locations since this first began in Prague in 2022. We have very senior people here. We’re in the middle of a war on the Continent, which means certain people here this week are vulnerable and potentially would be targets.
“Also, at a lesser level, you’re looking at potential attempts at disruption and undermining of the meeting. You will recall that at previous European Council meetings in the last two years, there have been attempts to try and undermine the convening of the meeting, the holding of the meeting and cause disruption.”
2 hours ago
Europe needs to ‘speak with one voice’ in Ukraine peace talks - Taoiseach
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said Europe’s perspective needs to be heard in restarted negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Jack Power reports.
Speaking on his way into the European Political Community summit, Martin said he didn’t believe that had to be through a European envoy or nominated negotiator.
“I don’t think there’s not necessarily one person, but there should be clear, coherent leadership from the European Union at that table,” he said.
“I don’t know that, I hope there will be progress”, Martin said when asked about the prospects of a breakthrough in negotiations to end the conflict.
2 hours ago
Councillor says people feel safer with increased Garda presence in Dublin
Independent Dublin City Councillor Ciarán Perry has said one of the side benefits of the EU summit being held in Dublin is the increased Garda presence that has led some communities to feel safer, Vivienne Clarke reports.
“We held a meeting of the new local community policing partnership last night and a number of people attended from the north inner city and all commented how safe they felt being in the area with so many gardaí.
“Even the senior gardaí attending acknowledged that police visibility directly impacts on the type of antisocial and criminal we see daily in the city centre and also in communities.
“So people are seeing what can be done by Garda management when required.”
Perry told Newstalk’s Claire Byrne show that increased policing levels encouraged people to come into the city centre and people to socialise in local communities.
Seeing more gardaí on the streets “absolutely makes people feel safer, makes communities feel safer and absolutely discourages antisocial behaviour and drug dealing”, he added.
However, he acknowledged that it would not be possible to maintain the level of policing currently visible in the city centre all the time.
“I don’t think anybody expects us to have the level of policing that we currently see in city centre.”
1 hour ago
Travel advice for fans attending Niall Horan gigs
Niall Horan fans are being warned of disruption ahead of his 3Arena gigs on Thursday and Friday night.
As a result of the EPC meetings, there will be no Luas services to the venue before the shows.
However, there will be limited special services running afterwards.
North Wall Quay will have no car nor pedestrian access to the 3Arena, and concertgoers are urged to instead use Amiens Street, Seville Place. Spencer Dock Bridge, and Sheriff Street Upper.
1 hour ago
Remains to be seen whether Russia is serious about Ukraine peace talks - Taoiseach
It remains to be determined whether Russia is serious about the Ukraine peace talks, the Taoiseach has said.
He said the prisoner swap agreed between the two sides “does represent a significant measure in and of itself”, Political Editor Pat Leahy reports.
“Maintaining channels of communication is very important,” he said, adding that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had a “channel to Moscow” which is “very important”.
Obviously Europe will want a voice at that table particularly insofar as issues impact on Europe, because of the economic inputs, the security inputs and in terms of Ukraine’s membership of the European Union, he added.
He stressed the importance of Europe’s “coalition of the willing” in supporting Ukraine, and pointed to the EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine agreed earlier this year.
Martin sidestepped the question of who should represent Europe at the talks, but said there should be “a clear coherent leadership from the EU at that table”.
He said that the EU had “stood strong” in the face of Russian aggression.
“We know that many member states feel an existential threat because of what has happened in Ukraine and the potential if Ukraine was to fall for further aggression on the European Continent.”
Asked about the meeting between Kushner and Witkoff and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy due in Dublin this evening and if there was likely to be a “breakthrough”, Martin responded: “I don’t know that. But I hope there will be progress ... I think the objective of tonight’s meeting is to debrief president Zelenskiy on the engagement by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with president Putin and so it’s a moving situation.”
He said that the meetings today and tomorrow were an opportunity for Zelenskiy to brief European leaders about the peace talks.
“But we do hope that there is a realism there now. Our view up to now is that Russia hasn’t shown any genuine interest in a peaceful resolution of this conflict. It remains to be seen whether that has changed.”
1 hour ago
Photos: Leaders arriving at Convention Centre for European Political Community summit
1 hour ago
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives at Convention Centre
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrived at the Convention Centre for the European Political Community summit.
He held a bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin after flying into Dublin on Wednesday evening.
Zelenskiy will meet US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner later on today when they arrive in Dublin from Moscow.
They are in Russia to meet president Vladimir Putin as peacemaking efforts continue amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
It remains to be seen if there will be any serious developments towards peace in the conflict, with Martin earlier expressing doubt over Russia’s intentions.
58 minutes ago
Putin ‘backed into corner’ over Ukraine invasion
Latvian prime minister Andris Kulbergs has said Vladimir Putin has been backed into a “corner” by his decision to invade Ukraine, Jack Power reports.
The Russian leader is trying to shift the focus of peace negotiations to contentious topics for Europeans, namely the security architecture of the Continent, to distract from his own challenging position, the Baltic politician said.
Europeans are reluctant to open up that can of worms because it encompasses the presence of Nato troops and defensive infrastructure, which Putin would love to roll back and weaken, close to the Russia border.
Another Baltic leader, Estonian prime minister Kristen Michal, said Europe was falling into a “trap” by letting these wider questions be drawn into any talks about ending the war.
51 minutes ago
Mark Carney arrives, saying attendance part of Canada ‘moving closer to Europe’
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney arrived and was greeted warmly by Micheál Martin, Pat Leahy reports.
He told reporters that his presence at the summit today is “part of a process of moving closer to Europe”.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen pledged that Europe would continue to support Ukraine in war and in peacetime.
She said the commission is preparing another package of sanctions against Russia – the 22nd package – and also a proposal to support Ukraine financially in 2027.
She left without taking questions.
46 minutes ago
French president Emmanuel Macron has arrived at the Convention Centre
French president Emmanuel Macron has arrived at the Convention Centre.
Macron came up with the concept of the European Political Community (EPC) after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He was greeted by Taoiseach Micheál Martin as he arrived.
37 minutes ago
‘There is no more US support,’ Macron says
Asked if he believed the US envoys could bring back positive news from Moscow, French president Emmanuel Macron replied: “I don’t know - I have no inside information,” Pat Leahy reports.
He added: “There is no more US support – at the end of the day we will be the ones to decide and define our security.”
32 minutes ago
‘It is long past time for Russia to stop this immoral war’, Taoiseach says in opening address
The Taoiseach welcomes European colleagues and Mark Carney “no stranger to Ireland or to Europe”.
Martin talks about the term ‘meitheal’, “neighbours coming together for a shared goal”.
He also thanks Emmanuel Macron for starting the European Political Community.
“We want to secure Europe, where citizens are free from war and all forms of threat, including hybrid.
“It is long past time for Russia to stop this immoral war,” he adds.
2 minutes ago
Zelenskiy appeals for continued European support
Volodymyr Zelenskiy is next to speak.
“We need to make sure Europe becomes a regular part” of Russia/Ukraine peace negotiations, he says.
“Putin’s wars are about his attitude towards others, not some sort of permanent confrontation with Europe that was impossible to avoid.
“We are waiting for more details and Europe needs to pay close attention.
“As for the frontline, our positions are strong and this is a direct result of co-operation, thank you so much, and joint defence projects,” he says.
Zelenskiy mentions the recent restrictions of Starshield in Ukraine, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
“This directly affects our ability to intercept Russian drones. We are trying to get details from the American side, so far we know very little.
“If someone in America is making decisions that treat Ukrainian territory as if it is no longer Ukrainian, we know where things are going.”
He finishes with an appeal to Europe to continue supporting Ukrainian territory, and sanctions on Russia.
Source: The Irish Times · James Cox
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