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Czech Republic set to miss 2% GDP defence spending target, PM Babiš confirms
Meanwhile, despite all the focus on the need to increase defence spending and growing warnings from the US, the Czech Republic is set to miss its 2% target again, the country’s prime minister Andrej Babiš confirmed.
Reuters reported that Babiš’s government cut this year’s original defence spending plan to around 1.7-1.8% GDP but Babiš had been saying he was looking for ways to meet the target. This is no longer the case, he said.
“Our government will not meet 2% of GDP for defence either,” Babiš said in a post on Facebook. “We have to put public finances in order first.”
Majority of EU states call for ‘full use’ of offshore deportation hubs for migrants
Jennifer Rankin
Brussels correspondent
Separately, a majority of EU member states have called for “full use” of new possibilities for offshore deportation hubs for people with no right to stay in the bloc.
In a letter organised by Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, 19 member states urged action in setting up return hubs in other countries “as soon as possible”
The letter addressed to heads of EU institutions and EU leaders calls for support for the member states to set up return hubs, including financial. UN agencies, including the UN agency for refugees and the International Organisation for Migration are also asked to engage.
Earlier this month, EU lawmakers agreed on a regulation to speed up deportations of people with no right to stay, a law that also created the possibility for offshore “return hubs”.
EU member states have been in talks with some African countries to host such centres, but so far none have been announced. The return hubs would be for people denied asylum in the EU, pending their return to their home country. The model contrasts with Italy’s original agreement with Albania, where asylum seekers were meant to be held in the Balkan country while their claims were processed. But following legal challenges, the Italian government shifted the scope so the Albanian centres would house people served with a deportation order.
The letter said:
“Some initiatives are already in operation like the Italy-Albania cooperation. Other countries are now working to implement the new possibilities, including hubs in third countries. We will personally lead the way to make sure our visions are brought to life.”
Several big member states are conspicuous by their absence from the letter: France, Germany and Spain.
Ireland’s Martin congratulates UK’s presumed PM challenger on byelection win
Ireland’s Martin also congratulated Andy Burnham on his byelection win in the UK last night, saying it showed “what is possible, despite all of the fragmentation and challenges in modern politics.”
The byelection was closely watched by European leaders as they consider if there could be a leadership challenge – or change – this summer in the UK.
Speaking before the second day of the EU summit in Brussels, Martin said:
“Well, just I congratulate him on his success. I know Andy, I’ve met him on a number of occasions. He has taken a particular interest in Ireland, and he has come to see us on a number of occasions, particularly on economy, and in respect of his role as a mayor in Manchester …
It was a solid victory in the by-election, which shows what’s possible, despite all of the fragmentation and challenges in modern politics. When you campaign well and effectively, things can happen.
I wish him well in his parliamentary career, and beyond that, I have no further comment to make.”
Martin also said he was looking forward to the UK-EU summit scheduled for July.
“We believe a lot can happen there, in terms of SPS, in terms of the ETS agreement, perhaps progress made on electricity market agreement, but we’ll see.
And then on the youth exchange and youth experience programmes, we believe it would be very good both ways for young British people to have greater access to European Union in terms of travel and study and all of and so forth, and vice versa in terms of European students. That would be something that I think young people across the board would welcome.”
Ireland’s Martin says ‘imperative’ to make progress on budget, but expects disputes on agriculture
Not many other leaders showed up to offer doorstep comments this morning – and can you really blame them, after they had just a few hours of sleep?
But Ireland’s Micheál Martin popped in to tell reporters that “it’s imperative that we continue to make progress” on this budget.
But he also made it clear that agriculture is one big sticking point, with some countries not happy with the proposed allocation.
“It was very clear that quite a number of member states are anxious to improve somewhat on the draft budget proposals around agriculture, but it will be very challenging because there are a lot of competing demands,” he said, adding that “there are [already] some who believe the budget is too high as it is.”
Martin also praised Zelenskyy’s presentation last night as “one of the more significant presentations he has made” to EU leaders.
He said – echoing the leaders’s statement – that there are no signs from Russia that it would be willing to engage with the proposed peace process.
However, he still backed the calls for establishing a diplomatic channel with Russia.
“There’s some distance to go yet before, before we get there [to negotiations], but opening up channels, in my view, given our own experience in conflict resolution, is not something that we would criticise or be negative about.”
Merz says EU ‘must not’ take more debt as budget debate kicks off in Brussels
Meanwhile, Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz has sought to set the tone for discussions on the bloc’s new 2028-2034 budget, opposing a proposed increase in spending.
Arriving for day two of the talks, Merz said the EU should “not move into further indebtedness,” AFP reported.
“We must not do that.”
The political talks on the budget are expected to take several months.
Morning opening: EU joins G7 in seeking to ramp up pressure on Russia
Jakub Krupa
After a long, long night in Brussels, EU leaders have signed off on a joint statement of support for Ukraine – the first signed off by all 27 member states since March 2025.
Guess we can call it the Magyar effect, after Péter Magyar, the new Hungarian prime minister, who replaced the infamously obstructive Viktor Orbán.
The statement reads fairly similar to that issued by the G7 earlier this week, siding with Ukraine and calling on Russia to engage with the peace process.
“Having failed to achieve its military and strategic objectives, Russia has intensified its missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure.
The European Council urges Russia to show genuine willingness regarding peace, agree to a full, unconditional and immediate ceasefire and engage in meaningful negotiations towards a just and lasting peace. …
The European Union remains determined to further increase pressure on Russia and continue weakening Russia’s war economy so that it stops its brutal war of aggression and engages in meaningful negotiations towards peace.”
Despite some appetite for direct talks with Russia among certain leaders, they do not get a mention in the conclusions.
The bleary-eyed leaders are already back in the room this morning, discussing another contentious topic: of the EU’s next financial settlement.
Getting an agreement here is going to prove much more difficult, and we are unlikely to see binding decisions today.
Either way, we are going to hear from the leaders later today, when they are done with the talks.
I will bring you all the details here.
It’s Friday, 19 June 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
