European Council President António Costa will carry out his annual 'tour of capitals' in the coming weeks, during which he will meet with the leaders of EU member states in their national capitals. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing the official website of the European Council, the visits will take place between 25 August and 17 September 2026. The announcement emphasises that the trip will allow Costa to gather the views of heads of state and government, with particular attention to shaping the EU's next long-term budget. By tradition, meetings in the capitals serve to lay the groundwork for upcoming European Council sessions and international summits.
Itinerary and Schedule of Visits
The first week of the 'tour of capitals' begins on 25 August: on that day Costa will meet Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Bratislava and Estonian Prime Minister Kriisto Michal in Tallinn. Already on 26 August, the European Council President will visit Riga for talks with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, before heading to Vilnius to meet Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. On 27 August, as part of the first week of visits, a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is scheduled in Prague. The further schedule of trips to the remaining capitals will be revealed as the dates approach.
Priorities: Budget, Defence, Enlargement, and Ukraine
'During the upcoming "tour of capitals," my discussions with European leaders will focus on defence, competitiveness, EU enlargement, and support for Ukraine. But, of course, particular attention will be paid to the EU's next long-term budget,' Costa stated. Thus, support for Ukraine is named as one of the key priorities, alongside strengthening the bloc's defence capabilities, boosting economic competitiveness, and the process of union enlargement. The formation of the EU's new multiannual budget becomes the central financial issue around which the negotiating dynamics of the coming months will unfold.
Context: 35th Anniversary of Independence and the 'Coalition of the Willing'
The tour of capitals kicks off against the backdrop of an important symbolic event: on 24 August 2026, Ukraine marked the 35th anniversary of its Independence Day. On that day, a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' was held in Kyiv, attended by all EU countries, NATO representatives, and other partners. Following the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv continued to receive support in the form of military and energy packages, and emphasised that air defence would be the priority for further assistance. These statements set the tone for the thematic discussions that Costa will hold with leaders during his tour.
Background Signals from the EU
In addition to the direct announcement of the tour, related signals about the bloc's foreign policy agenda are emerging in the public sphere. Earlier, in an interview with Euronews, Costa noted Ukraine's readiness to immediately close several chapters of its EU accession negotiations, indicating an acceleration of the integration process. In parallel, the media recorded statements that the EU is preparing for possible negotiations with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine. These topics will likely also feature in the European Council President's discussions with national leaders, although in the official tour announcement they are placed in the background after the budget, defence, enlargement, and Ukraine support.
