EU - Foreign Affairs Council, 13 July 2026 Main results

 Foreign Affairs Council

Foreign Affairs Council, 13 July 2026

Main results

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine

Before the beginning of the FAC meeting, EU foreign affairs ministers held an informal exchange over breakfast with Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, as well as the representatives of two Ukrainian human rights organisations, on Ukrainian civilian detainees.

A joint EU-Ukraine statement was issued on this matter.

Joint statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union and by Ukraine on civilian detainees and the humanitarian consequences of Russia’s war of aggression (3 July 2026)

The Council then discussed Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, following an initial address by Minister Sybiha, who gave an overview of the situation on the ground and Ukraine’s most urgent needs.

The ensuing ministerial discussions focused on Ukraine's energy preparedness ahead of next winter – including urgent air defence support and support for the protection and repair of critical energy infrastructure – support for Ukraine and continued pressure on Russia.

Concerning the latter, the Council adopted restrictive measures against individuals and entities responsible for:

cyber-attacks with a significant effect constituting an external threat to EU member states and malicious activities against the EU and its member states

Russian cyber-attacks and destabilising activities: Council sanctions nine individuals and four entities (press release, 13 July 2026)

serious human rights violations against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees both in the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine and in Russia

Human rights violations against Ukrainian prisoners of war: Council lists 15 individuals and one entity (press release, 13 July 2026)

serious human rights violations in Russia, notably the repression of civil society and democratic opposition and Russia’s continued use of new technologies to restrict freedom of expression, access to information and freedom of association

Human rights violations in Russia: Council lists four individuals and five entities over abusive surveillance (press release, 13 July 2026)

Russia's war against Ukraine (background information)

EU military support for Ukraine (background information)

EU solidarity with Ukraine (background information)

Black Sea

One year following the launch of the Black Sea strategic approach, the Council reviewed its implementation and discussed proposals for the way forward.

The High Representative stressed that the EU has initiated 65 projects worth around €200 million across the region and that the EU also put forward an ambitious connectivity agenda worth billions for the years to come.

EU strategic approach to the Black Sea region 

Co-Chairs Conclusions on Strengthening Cross-Regional Security and Connectivity (press release, 20 October 2025)

Situation in the Middle East

The Council discussed the situation in the Middle East in light of the latest developments in the region.

Iran

The Council took stock of the situation in Iran and the wider region, and the state of the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ministers confirmed the importance of maintaining active outreach to and close coordination with partner countries in the Gulf, which play a vital role in regional stability.

During the FAC lunch break, the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held their informal High-Level Forum on regional security and cooperation.

Timeline - Iran and the Middle East (background information)

EU sanctions against Iran (background information)

Gaza and the West Bank

The Council further exchanged views on Gaza and the West Bank.

Ministers reiterated their deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and stressed the urgent need for a sustained increase in humanitarian assistance, including full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. They reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the comprehensive peace plan for Gaza, stressed the importance of advancing towards its subsequent phases, and reiterated their support for the two-state solution.

Ministers also discussed the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, reiterating their opposition to the expansion of illegal settlements and settler violence, and discussed possible further measures against settlements and other actions undermining the two-state solution. In this context, ministers exchanged views on options for further trade-related measures vis-à-vis the products originating in the settlements, as presented by the European Commission, in line with the European Council conclusions of June 2026.

European Council conclusions (19 June 2026) 

EU position on the situation in the Middle East (background information)

EU humanitarian support for Palestinians (background information)

Lebanon

The Council touched upon the situation in Lebanon. Ministers welcomed the framework agreement on ending the hostilities between Israel and Lebanon, while raising concerns for the fragile situation on the ground. They reaffirmed their support for Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and emphasised the importance of supporting the Lebanese government and armed forces, including via a future dedicated CSDP mission.

Statement by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon (2 July 2026)

Current affairs

Under current affairs, the Council exchanged views on EU-UN relations, in view of the UN General Affairs high-level week (22-28 September 2026). In this context, the Council approved conclusions on the EU’s priorities at the UN during the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Council Conclusions on EU priorities at the United Nations during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, September 2026 – September 2027 

EU cooperation with the United Nations (background information)

Ministers were also informed on the current state of play in the appointment of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Other decisions

The Council launched the EU Partnership Mission in Armenia (EUPM Armenia) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) to enhance the country’s resilience.

Armenia: EU launches partnership mission to support the country's resilience against evolving hybrid threats (press release, 13 July 2026)

The Council strengthened EU sanctions on Sudan by targeting gold mining and gold exploitation to curb financing of the conflict.

Sudan: Council strengthens EU sanctions regime by targeting gold trade (press release, 13 July 2026)

The Council appointed a new EU Special Representative for Kosovo* and extended the mandates of the current EU Special Representatives for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Horn of Africa.

Council appoints a new EU Special Representative for Kosovo* and renews mandates for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Horn of Africa (press release, 13 July 2026)

The Council adopted two assistance measures, under the EPF to the benefit of the Moldovan Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, worth €120 million and €15 million respectively.

European Peace Facility: Council adopts assistance measure to support the Republic of Moldova’s air defence capabilities (press release, 13 July 2026)

European Peace Facility: Council adopts first-ever assistance measure for the Philippine’s maritime security (press release, 13 July 2026)

Meeting files

Persuasion - Trump’s Health Is… Complicated He isn’t as decrepit as Democrats pretend. But Republicans are slowly imagining a post-Trump world. Sam Kahn Jul 13

 

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Trump’s Health Is… Complicated He isn’t as decrepit as Democrats pretend. But Republicans are slowly imagining a post-Trump world. Sam Kahn Jul 13   READ IN APP   It’s a big week for Persuasion in DC! On Wednesday July 15, Yascha Mounk sits down with Francis Fukuyama to discuss how liberalism should respond to postliberal critiques. Find out more and get tickets here! And on Friday July 17, we’re hosting drinks in the aftermath of the Liberalism for the 21st Century conference! This is your ideal chance to socialize with the Persuasion team and other readers. Note that you do not need to have attended the conference to come to this event. Join us from 9:30pm at Hive Rooftop, Hotel Hive. Just make sure to RSVP here! Donald Trump on Air Force One on July 8, 2026. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images.) The President of the United States falls asleep in cabinet meetings and basketball games. He mixes up Greenland with Iceland and Iran with Japan. He sometimes slurs his words and gets lost wandering across a stage during a state event. If our last president succumbed to age while in office, there’s some reason to believe that Donald Trump may not be fully with it all the way through his term. But don’t count on it. I watched several hours of Trump speaking at different points in his political career, focusing in particular on his gaffes. What I found is that he is older and slower, that his voice lacks the command it once had, that he does tend to ramble more than he did, but also that he is still basically himself. If, for long swathes of his term, Joe Biden made no public appearances at all, spoke only when reading from a teleprompter, and kept his appearances to short and scripted exchanges, Trump continues to interact with the press and to speak off the cuff. There’s some slender evidence that he might have suffered a neurological episode, but in his most recent speeches he is voluble and pugnacious and speaks without evident difficulty. That’s not to deny that Trump’s age—he just turned 80—may well be a significant factor in the remainder of his second term and that a succession battle could soon emerge in the Republican Party. But Democrats who have a persistent fantasy of an imminent decline in Trump’s ability to lead are, based on the videos I watched, likely to be disappointed. In 2015 and 2016, when first running for the presidency, Trump, more than anything else, hinged his candidacy on vitality—he was in his 70s but made over 300 rally appearances. He shouts and bellows in his 2015 speech announcing his run. The impression he gives is of barely being able to contain his energy and rage. In his 2016 and 2020 debates with Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden, respectively, he is a snarling presence on stage, quick to interrupt both his rival candidates and the debate moderators—interrupting Clinton 106 times across three debates, according to a PBS breakdown, and interrupting Biden somewhere between 70 and 120 times during their first debate. To critics, he came across as a bully—CNN commentator Dana Bash called the Biden debate a “shitshow” immediately after it ended. But Trump’s demeanor in the debates was clearly calculated—as commentators acknowledged, he appeared “pugilistic” in contrast to the far more sedate Clinton and Biden. Why Trump Seems Confused By His Own War Sam Kahn · Jun 8 Read full story In his period out of power, Trump was spotted sleeping in the courtroom during the Stormy Daniels trial. And in the 2024 presidential race, mental lapses and speaking slips became almost routine for him. He confused Nikki Haley for Nancy Pelosi, claimed he was running against Barack Obama, and his speech was characterized by more tangents and repetition than before. In a discussion during the election, Fred Trump, Donald’s nephew, described a family history of dementia and speculated that Donald might have signs of the same dementia that afflicted his father, Fred Sr. “He just can’t stick to a message. And he used to be able to stick to a message,” Fred Trump III said. The conservative pundit Megyn Kelly noted, “He goes on too long at his rallies … to where you get kind of bored, you lose the thread, you lose interest, which is not something you’re used to with Trump.” And Joe Rogan, in their famous podcast interview, complained to Trump at one point during the conversation that “your weave is getting wide.” The age question was a liability for Trump all through the election, and particularly when Kamala Harris replaced Biden on the Democratic ticket—an ABC News poll in July 2024 found that a full 60% of voters believed Trump was “too old for a second term.” The New York Times noted that Trump held only 61 rallies before November 2024, about five times fewer than in 2016. Watching Trump during the 2024 election it’s clear that he had slowed down but was still sharp. His voice was softer than in 2015/16. The tangents, as Kelly noted, often made him dull to listen to. But he engaged with interlocutors in a way that Biden seemed to struggle with and was able to stay focused for long interviews and events. Certainly, the contrast between the two candidates was on vivid display in the June 2024 debate. The most intriguing analysis of Trump’s health is that he suffered a serious decline somewhere towards the summer of 2025. In August, the release of an older photo of himself playing golf, initially passed off as being more recent, raised widespread speculation—alongside his largely empty public schedule—that something had gone seriously wrong with the president’s health. The Hill, a bellwether of Washington political opinion, ran a piece headlined “Trump’s mental decline is unavoidable—so what now?” And several of Trump’s public appearances into the winter of 2025/26 raised questions about his fitness. The video of his state visit to Japan in October, when he several times had to be guided by Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi, was reminiscent of moments when Biden wandered aimlessly across a stage and the clip was widely interpreted as Trump losing it in public. I find the video inconclusive. Trump does seem lost, but the sequence of bowing and saluting is actually pretty complicated and Trump’s errors may be more attributable to his not knowing his blocking and being bored out of his mind during a state ceremony than to cognitive decline. Meanwhile, videos of him apparently sleeping during cabinet meetings are more conclusive. It definitely looks like he’s sleeping—no matter that Secretary of State Marco Rubio found himself swearing under oath to Congress that “I’ve never seen him fall asleep, on the contrary the guy doesn’t sleep.”