European Council President Antonio Costa (left) and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis talk during a formal meeting of the members of the European Council in Brussels, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Leaders are expected to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Iran, continued support for Ukraine, European competitiveness, defense readiness and migration amid rising geopolitical and economic tensions. [Olivier Hoslet/EPA]
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis indicated three key issues stemming from the turmoil in the Middle East that will top his agenda as he headed into a crucial EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.
In doorstep comments to the press, Mitsotakis noted that the crisis in the Middle East has highlighted the need to “truly activate the European Union’s mutual defense clause.” Pointing to Greece’s response to the Iranian attack on a British air base in Cyprus and the response of other European countries that followed, he said that he plans to raise the issue at the meeting and call for a “clear roadmap on how we can turn what is essentially an informal activation of Article 42(7) into a solid institutional option available to European countries in the event of future attacks.”
The second issue the Greek prime minister referred to was the response to the rising energy costs and supply disruptions since the start of the war, saying that this response “must be both national and European.”
“Europe must be prepared to address this crisis, with the primary goal of protecting European consumers – especially the most vulnerable – as well as European businesses, so that their competitiveness is not further undermined,” Mitsotakis said.
He also urged his fellow European leaders to consider the bloc’s response to the danger of a new immigration crisis triggered by the unrest in the Middle East.
“This crisis must not, under any circumstances, lead Europe into a new migration crisis. The message must be absolutely clear: Europe cannot tolerate a repeat of the 2015 crisis. We are not at that point, but we must be prepared for all scenarios,” he said.
“A clear message must therefore be sent from this European Council that Europe will protect its external borders and will not repeat the mistakes of the past,” Mitsotakis added.