EU foreign ministers meet behind closed doors, deadlocked on Israel and Ukraine

The informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers, held on September 1-2 in Wicklow, Ireland, ended without breakthroughs on major issues, as the bloc remains deadlocked over imposing trade sanctions on Israel and agreeing to increase military support for Ukraine.

Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Europe, acknowledged: “We have reached an impasse.” Ireland, along with Spain, has pushed for EU-wide trade restrictions on goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, amid escalating settler violence against Palestinians.

France called for a stronger EU response to remarks by Israeli officials regarding Palestinians. Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stressed: “The condemnation by Israeli officials is a good start, but it is not enough,” referring to calls by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for the mass displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

However, several member states, including Germany and Hungary, opposed the proposal at the meeting. This was a Gymnich meeting, with a new effort by Dublin to revive discussions on sanctions against Israeli settlers in the West Bank—a proposal that has stalled for months due to disagreements among member states.

The EU is Israel’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $50 billion.

Deadlock on Israel

EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas acknowledged that the lack of unanimity again prevented the bloc from moving toward measures against Israel, despite pressure from many governments for a stronger response to settlement expansion and settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Ireland argued that the EU’s credibility depends on applying international law consistently. Dublin also pointed to the disparity between the bloc’s readiness to impose sanctions on Russia and its reluctance to apply similar measures to Israel.

The disagreement is not only about how to view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but also about the practical steps the EU should take. Ireland and several other governments want stronger measures, including actions against individuals involved in settler violence and trade restrictions with illegal settlements, while others are more cautious in their support.

Divisions over Ukraine

Ukraine dominated much of the discussion on the first day as Kyiv continued to call for more military aid. Russia’s full-scale invasion has entered its fifth year, with drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.

Kyiv again urged European governments to provide more air defense systems after months of strikes. However, Greece and Spain remain opposed to using common EU funds to finance the purchase of additional air defense systems, leaving Ukraine without the extra missiles and equipment it had hoped for.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha urged European media, warning that delays in military support will come at a cost as Russia intensifies its air campaign. Yet, this did not lead to significant changes.

The debate also exposed long-standing rifts within the bloc. While Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands called for using frozen Russian assets to fund military efforts for Ukraine, Belgium—which holds a large portion of these assets—opposed it due to unresolved legal and financial concerns.

Broader security challenges

The foreign ministers also focused on the Middle East. The US-Israel war against Iran has entered its seventh month, leaving European governments with little diplomatic leverage even as the conflict directly affects the continent, including concerns over energy security for the coming winter.

The future of Lebanon, amid Israeli attacks, was also discussed. Ministers considered the possibility of deploying an EU mission to train Lebanese troops as the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) ends this year.

On August 30, EU forces operating in the Mediterranean approached a tanker suspected of being linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, as part of efforts to enforce sanctions on Moscow and prevent evasion.

Internal tensions

A day before the meeting, Italy stepped up air and road checks on travelers from Spain due to a dispute over migration and border control. Madrid responded with reciprocal measures.

The dispute stems from the flow of migrants into Spain’s North African city of Ceuta, after which Italy imposed additional checks on some travelers arriving from Spain. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares called on other countries to support Madrid and criticized governments that did not assist during the Ceuta crisis.

At the end of the two-day meeting, ministers left with statements no different from before. Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Xavier Bettel expressed frustration: “We are like barking dogs that don’t bite,” alluding to the lack of action on sanctions against Israel.

After the meeting, the EU was nearly back to square one—with many shared concerns but very little common action. The unanimity rule remains the EU’s Achilles' heel: everyone must agree, which means almost nothing gets done.