UK Prime Minister tells von der Leyen in Dublin he wants a UK-EU deal that cuts costs, ahead of next week’s summit

The UK Prime Minister used a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the European Political Community summit in Dublin on 12 November to set out what London wants from a UK-EU summit planned for next week, according to a readout published by the UK government.

According to the readout, the two leaders began by reflecting on preparations for that summit. The Prime Minister said he wanted to deliver a deal for Britain and the EU that cuts costs for consumers and businesses. He argued that the Brexit deal that was negotiated had done more harm than good and that the status quo was not working for either side, the UK government said.

He added that it was time for the UK and the EU to chart a new course that would cut costs for farmers and food producers and ease pressure on prices in the shops on both sides, per the same readout. The statement gives no details of the terms under discussion.

Ukraine and the Abu Dhabi negotiations

The leaders also discussed Ukraine and reflected on the negotiations in Abu Dhabi. The readout says they welcomed the momentum on Ukraine and agreed it was vital to keep driving it forward in the coming weeks and months. They said they looked forward to speaking again next week.

Other talks in Dublin

The meeting was one of several bilateral contacts on the margins of the ninth European Political Community summit, which Geopolitiki explained in European Political Community meets in Dublin: what the ninth EPC summit is and who attends. The UK government published a separate readout of the Prime Minister’s meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni the same day. In it, the Prime Minister outlined his vision to boost relations with the EU over the long term and said the UK was focused on delivering a next-generation fighter jet with Italy and Japan under GCAP.

The UK also joined a statement on illegal migration at the summit, which Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides backed, as covered in 41 European leaders, including Mitsotakis and Christodoulides, back joint statement on illegal migration.

For readers following Ukraine diplomacy, the Dublin readouts add that London and Brussels are treating the Abu Dhabi negotiations as a track to keep pushing in the weeks ahead. The UK government did not say when exactly next week’s UK-EU summit would take place in the readout, and neither readout describes any agreement reached in Dublin.