Published on 6/19/2026
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Last update: 19:16 (Mecca time)
Today, Friday, at the conclusion of their joint summit with the Group of Seven, the leaders of the European Union countries demanded Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah, in conjunction with a French announcement of arrangements to hold an international conference to support the Lebanese army and confine weapons to the state.
French President Emmanuel Macron said, in a joint press conference in Brussels with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, that European Union countries stress the need to include Lebanon in any ceasefire agreement to ensure stability in the region.
He added that the leaders meeting in Brussels called for Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the disarmament of Hezbollah, and stressed the necessity of confining weapons to the Lebanese state.
He continued that the European Union will provide support to the Lebanese army and security forces, and spoke of continued European coordination with the Lebanese authorities to organize an international conference in the coming weeks with the aim of mobilizing financial and military support for them.
For her part, von der Leyen expressed the Union’s deep concern about the situation in Lebanon, and stressed the necessity of the Israeli army’s withdrawal and the disarmament of Hezbollah.
It renewed the European leaders’ support for the Lebanese leadership in its efforts to limit weapons and disarm Hezbollah, while calling on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to work on formulating solutions for the period after the end of the mandate of the International Emergency Forces (UNIFIL).
In a context related to the Middle East files, Macron described the situation in the West Bank as “unacceptable,” announcing the leaders’ agreement to impose sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers and violent settlers, and confirming their strong opposition to illegal settlements.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, the French President said that the humanitarian catastrophe is still ongoing, noting that European leaders called for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Strip.
Support for the US-Iranian agreement
On the other hand, European leaders announced their support for the temporary agreement between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending the war and restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The French President said that European countries support the agreement that aims to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, noting that the leaders discussed the multinational mission that will be deployed in this vital sea corridor as soon as conditions become available.
In this context, the President of the European Commission said that freedom of navigation without fees must be guaranteed in the Strait of Hormuz, and it must be ensured that Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon.
New sanctions package
On the Russian-Ukrainian war front, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed that current indicators show that Russia is not serious about negotiating, stressing that the Europeans will not play the role of mediator, but rather will be main parties at the table of any future negotiations to protect their interests and provide solid security guarantees to Ukraine.
Macron said the leaders agreed on the importance of military support for Ukraine, financing its defense capabilities, and increasing sanctions on Russia.
In this context, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the final touches on the 21st sanctions package, the toughest against Russia.
Von der Leyen said that it was agreed to extend the sanctions for a full year instead of 6 months, with a focus on targeting the oil and gas sectors, and combating the “Russian shadow fleet” and cryptocurrencies used to circumvent the sanctions, while praising historic progress in the process of Ukraine and Moldova joining the European Union.
Economically, the President of the European Commission warned of the unsustainable rise in Chinese imports, which caused a record trade deficit for the Union amounting to 360 billion euros (about 389 billion dollars), which prompted the leaders to agree to activate trade defense tools and diversify the supply chains of raw materials and precious metals in coordination with the American side to protect European industry and jobs.
The European Council also agreed on the structure of the next budget (2028-2034) to ensure support for the agricultural and fishing sectors, while at the same time enhancing defense spending, innovation and clean technology.
At the conclusion of the conference, Macron touched on the thorny issue of immigration, stressing France’s support for European mechanisms to combat illegal immigration and accelerate deportations, while resolving the European position on the recent proposals of some countries, saying: “We will not support the establishment of centers for the settlement of immigrants in third countries, but we respect the decision of countries that have decided to do so on their own.”
