Fifty heads of state gather in Dublin today as the Irish state mounts the largest security operation in its history for two EU summits, bringing parts of the city centre to a near-standstill.
The Convention Centre Dublin on the River Liffey hosts the European Political Community summit on Thursday under the theme “Europe: Strong, Secure and Connected,” followed on Friday by an informal meeting of European Council heads of state or government, according to reporting by The Journal. The gathering is the ninth meeting of the European Political Community and forms part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Security forces have sealed off the venue and surrounding streets with specialized fencing, alongside strict vehicular, cycling, and pedestrian restrictions that will severely test the capital’s commuter traffic.
An Garda Síochána has deployed over 500 armed tactical officers and more than 500 public-order police daily, alongside active Garda drones monitoring the airspace above the Convention Centre Dublin until the policing operation concludes.
“We have a live-blog kicking off in the early morning and taking you through the day ahead, and we have reporters on the ground at the events bringing you all the latest,” The Journal noted regarding their coverage of the strict security measures, which include checked manhole covers and sealed rubbish bins. A formal dinner will also be held in the National Gallery of Ireland on Wednesday evening.
Garda UAS (drones) will be deployed in the vicinity of the Dublin Convention Centre to support the ongoing major policing and security operations. Garda UAS (Drones) will be active in the area until after the policing operation has ended. #KeepingPeopleSafe pic.twitter.com/jgvT2l8UpR
Political leaders gathering for the high-level talks will focus heavily on support for Ukraine, European security, economic competitiveness, and hybrid threats. The regional security environment came into sharp focus in Ireland in recent days following multiple hoax bomb threat emails sent to media outlets and schools, prompting heightened vigilance from police examining a myriad of threats.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrived in the capital ahead of the meetings, telling Taoiseach Micheál Martin that he believes a narrow “window of opportunity” exists to advance peace talks with Russia before the end of the year.
Simultaneously, United States envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner flew into Dublin to brief Zelenskiy following recent discussions in Abu Dhabi and a subsequent meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as reported by The Irish Times. Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev shared a picture of their arrival, captioned: “Welcoming Steve and Jared to Moscow.”
Throughout the two-day gathering, leaders will participate in structured round-table sessions, informal discussions, and numerous bilateral meetings on the fringes of the main agenda, before the summit concludes with a closing plenary session and a press conference held with media.
