Second Day of the European Council: Bulgaria and Romania Call for End to Attacks in the Black Sea

Second day of the European Council in Brussels. Leaders are expected to include the drone attacks in the Black Sea in the meeting’s conclusions.

Support for Ukraine is another key item on the agenda. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also attending the summit. Today, he is due to meet European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the prime ministers of Hungary, Finland and Sweden. The bloc’s leaders are also discussing measures to bring down high fuel prices, boost competitiveness and promote the single market, along with the draft EU budget for 2028–2034.

Bulgaria and Romania are calling for an end to attacks on merchant ships in the Black Sea and for food not to be used as a weapon. The issue is expected to be included in the conclusions of the European Union summit in Brussels, where the two leaders are highlighting regional security and hybrid attacks organised by Russia in Europe.

The moratorium was proposed by Bulgaria, but whether we call it a moratorium or simply a ceasefire, the meaning is the same. That is the goal of both Bulgaria and Romania.

The two leaders are seeking support from the other EU member states. The conclusions are expected to call for an end to attacks on merchant ships and to prevent the use of food resources as a weapon, which could lead to a global food crisis.

Bulgaria and Romania are expected to be identified as the two countries most seriously affected by strikes in the Black Sea region. Yesterday, at the request of Romanian President Nicușor Dan, the two leaders visited NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at his residence to discuss the situation in the Black Sea. Rutte stressed the importance of the Alliance’s eastern flank and recalled that it had already been reinforced because of the war in Ukraine. He said, however, that NATO was ready to take further measures if the situation required them.

Romania is also calling for an extraordinary NATO meeting devoted to the situation in the Black Sea. There is currently no information on whether such a meeting will be held. Alongside their efforts within NATO, Bulgaria and Romania are also pressing for the faster launch of a new Black Sea maritime surveillance centre, which the European Union plans to fund. The centre is expected to have bases in Varna and Constanța. Its aim is to improve surveillance and coordination in the Black Sea region amid growing security risks.

The Black Sea issue dominated the agenda for Bulgaria and Romania in Brussels. The other European leaders primarily discussed other strategic issues, including the EU budget and trade relations with China.