“The European Union is a champion of the international rules-based order,” stated European Council President António Costa in an interview with European news agencies on Monday.
Journalists from various agencies, including Lusa (Portugal), CTK (Czech Republic), EFE, Europa Press (Spain), STA (Slovenia), dpa (Germany), and TT (Sweden), represented a network of over 20 news organizations to pose questions to Costa.
Europe is currently feeling the repercussions of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran in the Middle East, as oil flow disruptions are driving energy prices up globally. Concurrently, the EU is preparing to grant Ukraine a loan of 90 billion Euros to support its defense against Russia’s aggression.
Regarding the Middle East situation, Costa remarked that “the United States and Israel decided to launch this initiative without informing their allies,” referring to the US-Israeli actions against Iran on February 28, 2026. He expressed serious concerns about the war’s repercussions on the international rules-based order, humanitarian issues, and global energy costs, while also condemning Iranian assaults on neighboring countries.
The former Portuguese Prime Minister also indicated that the EU must prepare for potential discussions with Russia in the future. “It will come one day, but not now,” he noted, emphasizing that the EU should not disrupt US President Donald Trump’s ongoing peace efforts in Ukraine.
Ahead of the EU leaders’ meeting in Brussels on Thursday, the European Council chief urged Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to remove his government’s block on the 90 billion Euro loan for Ukraine. He described Budapest’s stance as “completely unacceptable” and reminded that all EU member states, including Hungary, had previously endorsed the loan last December.
Additionally, Costa criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his earlier threats against Orbán, stating, “We cannot accept that someone addresses a leader of a European Union member state in an improper manner, even in a moment of high emotion.”
Finally, Costa affirmed that “enlargement is a main priority” for the EU, stressing that candidate countries must implement necessary reforms. When asked about allowing new members to join without veto rights, he responded: “We need to manage this enlargement process creatively, upholding our criteria and merit-based standards, but with a strong sense of urgency.”
Comments
20 responses to “The EU "Champions the International Rules-Based Order": Interview with European Council President António Costa”
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Seems like Costa’s busy handing out loans while the world’s on fire—European diplomacy at its finest, eh? 😂 Just what we need, a championship in rules, while the game keeps changing! 🏆
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Seems like Costa’s got the whole “rules-based order” thing under control while the world burns a bit hotter, eh? 🤷♂️ But hey, at least we’re still lending 90 billion to Ukraine, because nothing says “stability” like a fat loan in a crisis! 💸
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Just what we needed – another grandstanding EU official declaring his love for rules while the world goes mad. 🤦♂️ At this rate, we might as well print a “Champions of Order” T-shirt!
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Isn’t it just delightful when the EU throws around phrases like “rules-based order” while juggling 90 billion Euros and a few pesky disagreements? 🤷♂️ Classic Europe, always playing chess while the rest are just trying to find their checkers!
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Gotta love how the EU champions the rules-based order while playing a game of political chess with some of the biggest heavyweights—next stop, a loan bingo for Ukraine! 🤷♂️💸
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Just what we needed, another lecture on “rules” from the EU while the world burns! 🍷 Let’s hope they can draft a memo to the US and Israel before their next surprise party.
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Nothing like a good ol’ EU pep talk about the “rules-based order” while the world’s on fire, eh? It’s almost as if they think waving a magic wand will solve the oil crisis—cheers to that! 🍷
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So, António Costa’s got his eye on the “rules-based order” while we’re all waiting for the next train to Brussels. Maybe he can throw in a few more euros for a ticket to reality while he’s at it. 😏💼
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Champions of the rules-based order, eh? Sounds like a fancy title for a bunch of folks trying to juggle oil prices and loan approvals like it’s a Sunday market in Paris. 🤷♂️💶
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Oh sure, the EU is all about the “rules-based order”—right after they sort out Hungary’s little tantrum over 90 billion euros. 😂 It’s like watching a bunch of cats trying to share a sunbeam!
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Isn’t it just delightful how the EU champions the ‘rules-based order’ while juggling loans, conflicts, and the occasional diplomatic tantrum? 🍷 Btw, how’s that ‘creative management’ of enlargement going—perhaps a game of musical chairs? 🎶
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Who knew that being a “champion” of the rules-based order meant handing out Euros like candy while the rest of us are just trying to figure out how to pay for our morning coffee? Cheers to diplomacy, eh? 🍻
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So, the EU is the “champion” now, eh? Might as well put a cape on Costa while we’re at it – just what Europe needs, a superhero saving us from bad press! 😂
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Typical EU talk, innit? They champion the rules just as long as everyone’s playing by their script—kudos to Costa for keeping that show on the road! 😏💼
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Just what we needed, another reminder that the EU is the referee in a game it didn’t even want to play. As if 90 billion Euros is just pocket change for a bit of goodwill, right? 😂💸
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Brilliant! The EU’s “rules-based order” sounds lovely, especially while we’re all just trying to keep our heads above water with skyrocketing energy prices and a cheeky loan to Ukraine. 😂 Must be nice to be the referee in a game where everyone is throwing punches!
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Nothing like a good ol’ EU pep talk on “rules-based orders” while the whole continent’s oil prices are doing a tango! 🙄 Just what we needed, more bureaucracy to solve the world’s problems over a cup of lukewarm coffee.
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Seems like Costa’s got the whole “rules-based order” thing down—right after we figure out who forgot to send the memo to the US and Israel! Classic EU: always the last to know but first to put their hand in the pocket, eh? 😏💸
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Can’t wait for Costa to turn the EU into a superhero league—just need to figure out how to fly while juggling 90 billion Euros and keeping Hungary happy. 🦸♂️💸
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Right, so we’re the champions of order while juggling energy crises and loan approvals like a circus act. Can’t wait for the sequel where we tame the Hungarian lion! 😂
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