Taoiseach Micheál Martin is attending an informal meeting of EU leaders in the Danish capital Copenhagen, which will focus on the growing threat of Russian incursions into European airspace, as well as long term financial and military support for Ukraine.
The recent closure of Copenhagen airport due to drone incursions, as well as drone sightings over Danish military bases, mean that the Russian threat is now more concrete than abstract, senior EU figures have said.
The informal summit of EU leaders under the Danish presidency will be dominated by the issue of European defence.
Policy initiatives, such as a so-called drone wall to protect against Russian drone incursions, as well as a proposed eastern flank watch, in light of recent incursions into EU airspace by Russian fighter jets will now be given much more urgent attention.
With the Trump administration also threatening to phase out financial support to Ukraine, there will be a debate among leaders about how to utilise some €200 billion in frozen Russian assets to equip Ukraine to hold back an incremental Russian advance on its eastern front.
There will be discussions too on how to circumvent Hungary's continued blocking of the next phase of Ukraine’s accession process towards EU membership.
No decisions will be taken at the meeting as it is informal, but it is expected to prepare the groundwork for a formal summit in Brussels in just over three weeks' time.
Mr Martin will also raise the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the latest efforts to end the war.
