ECFR Council meeting in Warsaw

28.06.2025

Close to 300 delegates to the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), an international think-tank with members from 36 states, gathered in Warsaw on 27 and 28 June for the conference under the theme "Europe's Political Choices in an Age of Ambition.” The meeting was attended by Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and MFA Undersecretary of State Henryka Mościcka-Dendys.

The ECFR conference provides a forum for exchanging views on European foreign and security policy. The two-day programme covered topics such as European economic policy and competitiveness, global governance, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and the future of the transatlantic alliance. This year’s meeting at Warsaw’s Citadel was also an opportunity to discuss the challenges ahead of Europe. This was the subject addressed by, among others, Minister Radosław Sikorski.

“The European Union must not—and cannot—return to being merely a free trade zone. Given the enormous challenges we face, a clear strengthening of our political and defence capabilities is no longer optional—it is an absolute necessity,” said the Polish foreign minister.

Part of the official programme of Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the ECFR meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the six-month Presidency’s achievements.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski’s entire address at the ECFR meeting is attached below.

Press release on the ECFR conference on the website of the Polish Presidency of the EU Council: LINK