The key facts

  • The declaration was signed by 40 European countries on November 12 at the EPC summit in Dublin; the initiative belonged to France
  • The document condemns Moscow's 'intensifying hybrid campaigns' and relies on the UN Charter, the North Atlantic Treaty and the EU Treaty
  • British Prime Minister Andy Burnham emphasized the importance of mentioning NATO: after the war in Ukraine, the alliance must ensure stability in Europe

What was signed in Dublin

On November 12, Thursday, at the European Political Community summit in Dublin, Germany, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Spain and other European states agreed on the 'basic principles' of European security and enshrined them in a separate document. The initiative was put forward by France. According to the AFP news agency, the declaration enshrines the existing rules that form the basis of European security and supplements them with new directions — in particular, measures to combat hybrid threats.

Content of the document

The signatory states resolutely condemned Moscow's 'intensifying hybrid campaigns' and expressed their intention to counter such threats and the fight against interference in the information sphere. In addition, the declaration covers the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and the illegal entry of migrants. The document emphasizes that European countries 'are taking on ever greater responsibility for the security of the continent,' which, in the view of the signatories, will have a positive effect on both global and transatlantic security. According to the text reviewed by journalists, the declaration relies on the UN Charter, as well as on the North Atlantic Treaty, which established NATO, and the Treaty on the European Union. The draft also enshrines the principle that any question concerning European security must be decided together with the Europeans.

Context: NATO's role and negotiations on Ukraine

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that the very mention of NATO in the document is important: in his words, after the end of the war in Ukraine, it is the alliance that will have to ensure a stable situation in Europe. The declaration appeared against the backdrop of recent negotiations on a peaceful settlement between Russia and Ukraine, where, in addition to the terms of a ceasefire, the architecture of European security was also discussed. Special representative of the US President Jared Kushner, at the negotiations in Abu Dhabi, reportedly spoke in favor of creating a 'new' security architecture in Europe.