President von der Leyen travels to the Middle East
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, together with the President of the European Council, António Costa, will be in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon this week. Their visit follows the adoption of the Pact for the Mediterranean in November, promoting cooperation, prosperity and lasting stability in the region.
On Thursday, 7 January, in Amman, they will meet His Majesty King Abdullah II for the first-ever EU-Jordan Summit, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to Jordan as a key strategic partner in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The three leaders will take stock of the implementation of the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership, signed one year ago, and set the priorities for the future.
On Friday, 8 January, Presidents von der Leyen and Costa will travel to Damascus to meet with President al-Sharaa and deepen political ties and economic engagement with the country. The EU remains strongly committed to Syria’s recovery, reconstruction and civil peace.
Later in the day, the two leaders will travel to Beirut to meet with President Aoun and further strengthen the EU-Lebanon partnership, focusing on prosperity, security and stability.
Audiovisual material of the visit will be available on EBS.
(For more information: Paula Pinho – Tel.: +32 2 292 08 15; Anouar El Anouni – Tel. +32 2 291 35 80; Markus Lammert – Tel.: +32 2 296 75 33)
Commission awards over 40,000 free DiscoverEU travel passes to young people on the 40th anniversary of Schengen
More than 40,000 18-year-olds will be able to embark on a free rail journey across Europe following their selection in the latest DiscoverEU awards by the European Commission.
On top of the travel pass, participants will benefit from a discount card, offering thousands of reductions on cultural activities, accommodation, local transport, food and other services. DiscoverEU will also contribute to the Culture Compass for Europe through stronger promotion of the DiscoverEU Culture Routes, a collection of European destinations carefully curated for fans of film, fashion, food, fine art and more. Part of their programme will be pre-departure information sessions and DiscoverEU meet-ups. One of those meet-ups will be organised in Lyon (France) in July, in the context of the European Youth Week 2026, focusing on solidarity and fairness. More than 200 young travellers will gather there from all over Europe.
DiscoverEU is a key part of the Erasmus+ programme and fosters youth mobility, eco-friendly travel, cultural exchange, and European unity. This edition also celebrates 40 years of travelling around Europe without borders, following the Schengen agreement.
Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, said: ‘DiscoverEU gives thousands of young Europeans the chance to explore our continent, meet new people and experience the value of free movement first-hand. This special Schengen 40th anniversary edition is a reminder that mobility is a right we cherish; a cornerstone of our shared European identity.’
This round was open to people born between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2007, from both EU Member States and Erasmus+ associated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Trkiye) and attracted 246,782 applications. Since 2018, more than 1.9 million young people have applied for 431,931 travel passes. As in past editions, special arrangements will ensure access for travellers from islands, outermost regions or remote areas.
More information on DiscoverEU, including call results per country, is available online.
(For more information: Eva Hrncirova – Tel.: +32 2 298 84 33; Eirini Zarkadoula – Tel.: +32 2 295 70 65)
Robust Security Guarantees for a Solid and Lasting Peace in Ukraine – Statement of the Coalition of the Willing
The members of the Coalition of the Willing, Ukraine and the United States have convened today in Paris.
We all stressed our commitment to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the United Nations Charter principles, and welcomed the progress achieved, including in the discussions between the Americans, the Ukrainians, European and other partners.
In particular, the Coalition was clear that Ukraine’s ability to defend itself is critically important for ensuring the future of Ukraine’s and Euro-Atlantic collective security. We confirmed that ensuring the sovereignty and lasting security of Ukraine shall be an integral part of a peace agreement, and that any settlement will have to be backed up by robust security guarantees for Ukraine.
We stand ready to commit to a system of politically and legally binding guarantees that will be activated once a ceasefire enters into force, in addition to bilateral security agreements and in accordance with our respective legal and constitutional arrangements.
They will include the following components :
Participation in a proposed US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. There will be a continuous, reliable ceasefire monitoring system, including contributions from members of the Coalition of the Willing. The Coalition of the Willing will also be represented in the Special Commission that will be established to address any breaches, attribute responsibility, and determine remedies.
Support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine : The Coalition agreed to continue critical long term military assistance and armament to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to ensure their sustained capability, as they will remain the first line of defence and deterrence. This will include but not be limited to : long term defence packages ; support for financing the purchase of weapons ; continued cooperation with Ukraine on its national budget to finance the armed forces ; access to defence depots which can deliver rapid additional support in the case of a future armed attack ; provision of practical and technical support to Ukraine in building defensive fortifications.
A Multinational Force for Ukraine made up from contributions from willing nations within the framework of the Coalition, to support the rebuilding of Ukraine’s armed forces and support deterrence. Coordinated military planning has been conducted to prepare for reassurance measures in the air, at sea and on land and for the regeneration of the armed forces of Ukraine. We confirmed that these reassurance measures should be strictly implemented at Ukraine’s request once a credible cessation of hostilities has taken place. These elements will be European-led, with the involvement also of non-European members of the Coalition, and the proposed support of the US.
Binding commitments to support Ukraine in the case of a future armed attack by Russia in order to restore peace. We agreed to finalise binding commitments setting out our approach to support Ukraine and to restore peace and security in the case of a future armed attack by Russia. These commitments may include the use of military capabilities, intelligence and logistical support, diplomatic initiatives, adoption of additional sanctions.
Commitment to deepen long-term defence cooperation with Ukraine. We agreed we would continue to develop and deepen mutually beneficial defence cooperation with Ukraine, inter alia : training, defence industrial joint production, including with the use of European relevant instruments, and intelligence cooperation.
We have further decided to establish a US/Ukraine/Coalition coordination cell at the Coalition Operational Headquarters in Paris.