European Council President Antonio Costa addresses regional security at ambassadors' conference

On Tuesday, European Council President Antonio Costa addressed the European Union ambassadors' conference in Brussels, emphasizing the need to uphold international law amid global instability. He specifically highlighted the Middle East conflict, holding Iran and its proxies, such as Hezbollah, responsible for regional tensions and threats to neighbors, including Cyprus. Costa praised the coordinated deployment of military forces by Greece, France, Italy, and Spain as a demonstration of European autonomy and solidarity in protecting Cyprus. Regarding the broader impact of the conflict, Costa argued that Russia is the primary beneficiary of the instability. He noted that the Middle East crisis serves to drain international attention and military resources away from the war in Ukraine while driving up energy prices to Russia's financial advantage. The President reaffirmed the EU's commitment to the UN Charter and rule-based order in all regions, from Ukraine to the Middle East. He concluded by emphasizing that the EU will continue to provide support to regional partners to maintain security.