Costa: We should view current geopolitical changes as an opportunity to build European security

This was stated by European Council President Antonio Costa during a video address to participants of the EIB Group Forum (2025) taking place in Luxembourg, Ukrinform reports.

"To build a defensive Europe, we need to push forward our competitiveness and strategic autonomy agenda — especially in energy and critical technologies and infrastructure. In fact, we need to think about it in parallel and in a more integrated way: European defense, shared European prosperity, and European strategic autonomy. All of this is about the strength of Europe, about our common future, about our security, about the quality of jobs, and about new opportunities for our regions," Costa emphasized.

He noted that he was unable to personally come to Luxembourg as he remains in Brussels to participate in a meeting of the Special European Council, which is to demonstrate further support for Ukraine and identify ways to strengthen European defense. At the same time, Costa noted the critical role that the EIB plays in addressing these challenges.

"We should see today's geopolitical changes as a great opportunity to build a defensive Europe, with new resources, with new tools and investments. The EIB will be very important in this. Your role has been crucial in the digital, energy and climate transitions. And now you have a critical role to play for our security and defence," the President of the European Council noted.

He noted that to accomplish this task, the EIB must maintain strong operational and financial positions, and adapt its solid lending practices to meet the needs of the European defense sector.

"We all know about our gaps in innovation, in production and in investment. The EIB investment report comes at the right time to make life easier for our entrepreneurs, without abandoning the green and inclusive transformation, to strengthen the capital market and create a more innovative Single Market. 2025 must be the year when we deliver in the interests of security, prosperity and stability for current and future generations," Costa stressed.