The EU is holding on to 'put out the fire'.

The recent eighth summit between the EU and the countries of the western Balkans took place less than six months after the previous summit, rather than a full year as agreed in 2018. This haste suggests the EU is attempting to "put out the fire."

European Council President Antonio Costa, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a joint press conference during the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat, Montenegro, on June 5, 2026.

Photo: Reuters

You may also like

The formula for winning the World CupIn football, wealth is an advantage, but being open to naturalizing foreign players is being seen as a shortcut to success.

France confirms its first Ebola case.VTV.vn - France announced its first confirmed case of Ebola on June 24.

Lithuania unveils Shahed-hunting UAV with speeds up to 320 km/hGD&TĐ - A Lithuanian defense company has just introduced a new interceptor UAV, aimed at countering attacks by inexpensive UAVs, including the Shahed.

The reason is that five countries in the western Balkan Peninsula – Montenegro, Albania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Kosovo – have become impatient because they have not yet joined the EU. The bloc now has legitimate reasons to worry that these partners are gradually losing trust, no longer steadfast in their pursuit of closer ties with the EU, and instead leaning towards partners outside the region, particularly Russia and China.

These candidates also have two other reasons to be skeptical about their prospects of joining the EU. Firstly, the EU is currently deeply divided internally regarding the direction, criteria, and roadmap for expansion. Secondly, the EU currently prioritizes countries surrounding Russia, such as Ukraine and Moldova, resulting in clear discrimination between partners in this region and those in the western Balkans in its expansion strategy.

Therefore, the EU urgently needs to organize this high-level meeting to retain its partners, encourage them to remain steadfast in their commitment to EU integration, and prevent them from isolating themselves or leaning entirely towards Russia and China. However, this retention should still be done from a distance, not with the guarantee of immediate acceptance, and certainly not with the intention of immediate acceptance. That would be nothing more than a futile attempt to "put out the fire" with empty promises.

You may also like

The US is expected to resume technical talks with Iran in late June.(HTV) - On June 24, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the next round of talks between the US and Iran could take place on June 29 or 30, focusing on Tehran's nuclear program and the possibility of lifting international sanctions.

Support for the victims demands that US chemical companies be held accountable for the damage caused.(Chinhphu.vn) – The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed support for the victims of Agent Orange/dioxin demanding that the chemical companies that produced and supplied Agent Orange/dioxin to the United States during the war in Vietnam be held responsible for rectifying the consequences.

The horrific experiences of earthquake victims in Venezuela.When the ground in Venezuela began shaking violently on the evening of June 24 (local time), Verónica feared the walls of her apartment in the capital, Caracas, would bury her.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/eu-niu-giu-de-chua-chay-185260607205928748.htm