An “informal meeting”, almost a “retreat”, scheduled for 3 February at the Château de Limont, close to Brussels, dedicated to the topic of European defence. This is what the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, is proposing to the 27 EU Heads of State or Government, in a letter sent to them today. “I believe we share a similar assessment of the threats Europe is facing. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has brought high-intensity war back to our continent – violating the core principles of international law and threatening European security – coupled with growing hybrid and cyber-attacks on Member States and their economies and societies. Peace in Europe depends on Ukraine winning a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. This geopolitical context, which is also marked by the situation in the Middle East, will remain challenging in the foreseeable future”, President Costa wrote. “The purpose of this meeting is to prepare the ground for the decisions we will have to take and to provide guidance to the Commission and the High Representative as they prepare a white paper on the future of European defence, which will cover joint defence initiatives and the resources necessary to develop them. As foreseen in the Leaders’ Agenda, my aim is to return to the subject of defence at the June 2025 European Council”.