European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned Friday that negotiations to end the US-Israeli war with Iran risk producing a weaker agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program than the one struck a decade ago.
“If the talks are only about the nuclear [issue] and there are no nuclear experts around the table, then we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the JCPoA was,” Kallas told reporters on the second day of an informal EU leaders summit in Cyprus.
The JCPoA, sealed in 2015, took two years to negotiate and involved about 200 specialists in nuclear physics, sanctions, finance and law. US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018; this week he vowed to forge a “far better” nuclear deal.
Kallas said negotiators must also address Iran’s missile programs, support for proxies, and hybrid and cyber activities in Europe, warning there is a risk of ending up with “a more dangerous Iran” if those issues are ignored.
What else is happening at the leaders’ summit?
EU leaders on Friday called for a long-term solution to the Iran war ahead of talks with regional officials. “Europe must do even more,” French President Emmanuel Macron said in Nicosia, adding that restoring stability quickly is in everyone’s interests so the global economy can normalize.
Leaders planned a working lunch with representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Summit host Cyprus — about 300 kilometers from the Lebanese coast — has been directly affected by the conflict after an Iranian drone struck a British military base there soon after the war began.
The summit also agreed to flesh out a blueprint for how the EU’s mutual assistance clause would operate in the event of an attack, reflecting growing attention to defense amid doubts over US commitment to NATO.
The summit focused on the EU’s budget on Friday before turning to the Iran war. (Image: Petros Karadjias/AP Photo/picture alliance)
EU budget
Leaders debated the next EU budget for 2028-2034. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he opposed increasing member state contributions or taking on new debt. “Europe must make do with the money we have,” Merz said, adding that new priorities will require cuts elsewhere.
The European Commission wants a larger budget of around €2 trillion to help repay debts incurred during the pandemic and to fund goals such as boosting competitiveness and defense — a difficult task while many member states face tight finances.
Ukraine
On Thursday, leaders met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and approved a €90 billion loan for Kyiv, and adopted the 20th sanctions package against Russia. Kallas said the bloc is already preparing a 21st package. “We’re really pushing to go on the 21st package of sanctions,” she said, calling it a clear signal that Russia cannot outwait the EU and that support for Ukraine will continue.
Edited by: Sean Sinico