Dublin summit weighs hybrid attacks and a European voice in Ukraine talks
Leaders from more than 40 European countries gathered in Dublin on November 12, 2026, for a summit dominated by hybrid attacks, a term for hostile actions that stay below the level of open war. The meeting was the biannual European Political Community (EPC), a forum set up in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Its agenda centred on regional security at a time when the United States is backing a new effort to revive Russia-Ukraine talks.
The attacks under discussion have touched many parts of daily life. Recent hoaxes and cyberattacks in Europe targeted supermarkets, blood banks, passenger airlines, schools and media outlets. In Italy, more than 3,700 schools received hoax bomb warnings on November 12, a day after a similar alert affected 6,300 schools on November 11.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said those responsible seek to create confusion, sow division and weaken public confidence in democratic systems. European officials have accused Russia of being behind disruptive attacks on key infrastructure, and Russia has denied involvement in the recent threats in Europe.
A second major topic was Europe's effort to name an envoy to represent it in the Ukraine peace talks, a step that followed calls from Washington and Kyiv. It remains unclear who will be chosen. US envoy Steve Witkoff said that Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to let European representatives join the next round of Ukraine discussions, following a meeting in Moscow.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged complete support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said he would push for European representation in the US-brokered talks. Burnham co-chaired a group meeting on Ukraine with Zelenskyy at the Dublin summit.
