Good morning from Brussels,

The EU's new defence commissioner-designate, Andrius Kubilius, told Euractiv in an interview that he has an ambitious mission to boost Europe's military capabilities by aligning with NATO on top priorities.

“We need to sit down and really look into priorities together with NATO,” Kubilius told Euractiv’s Aurélie Pugnet. He also focused on the funding of his plans.

Politically, the message is clear: “It is most important really to show very strong signals to Putin that he should forget about testing the EU or NATO – and for that, we need to show that our industries are gearing up, that we are finding finances so that we shall be ready whatever Putin decides to do,” he said.

Another test on the West-Russia reflexes is the Moldovan elections and an EU referendum on Sunday, as concerns over Russian interference remain high, state authorities claim. 

Moldova’s deputy prime minister Cristina Gherasimov told Euractiv, “For us, EU membership is existential, and it’s the only way to consolidate our democracy”.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Germany, France, the UK and the US are holding a high-level meeting in Berlin today to discuss global matters, including Ukraine, days after Ukraine’s Zelenskyy presented his “victory” plan to EU leaders. However, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni's non-attendance has triggered several reactions at home.

Making the geopolitical puzzle more complex, Donald Trump blamed Zelenskyy on Thursday for helping start the war with Russia.

Following weeks of intense talks, EU leaders agreed on a joint declaration calling for new legislation on returning irregular migrants at summit in Brussels on Thursday. 

Poland’s Donald Tusk claimed victory as he received the backing of other EU leaders on his decision to temporarily suspend the processing of asylum seekers' applications in places where the border is usually crossed illegally. 

However, the idea of “return hubs” did not find all EU leaders on the same page. Théo Bourgery-Gonse analyses what “return hubs” mean and highlights the legal risks for those who choose to pursue this option.

On foreign matters, EU leaders reiterated their calls for de-escalation in the Middle East, with some voicing hope the recent killing of Hamas' leader Yahya Sinwar could be an off-ramp for ceasefire talks.

In the trade field, tensions with the US will likely persist regardless of who wins November’s presidential election, European policymakers warned on Thursday, amid concern that Washington’s abandonment of the WTO-led order could further damage the EU’s faltering economy.

Moreover, a new study has found that some 80% of toys sold by third-party sellers on online marketplaces do not meet EU safety standards: On Amazon, 10 toys out of 25 were dangerous, on Temu, 19 out of 25, on Shein, all 10 out of 10, and on AliExpress 10 out of 14.

BERLIN

Amid attempts to boost underwater infrastructure safety, Germany and Norway proposed dividing NATO’s territory into five maritime regions, each protected by one member of the alliance. Read more.

Germany banking on more electric as way out of auto crisis. Germany's powerful car industry is struggling to keep up with global competition, but industry leaders and politicians are now resorting to old tricks to ensure the country can compete in electric mobility. Read more.

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PARIS

French government confirms purchase of new aircraft carrier despite budget cuts. The French Ministry of Defence's confirmation of the order for the next-generation aircraft carrier (PANG) to replace the Charles de Gaulle one has raised concerns as its budget is expected only to be finalised by the end of 2025 amid a growing public deficit. Read more.

Paris and Berlin’s letter for an EU-UK migration deal was never ‘received’ by the Commission. A letter drafted by French and German Interior ministers, asking the Commission to seek a negotiating mandate for a future EU-UK migration deal, was never formally received by the Commission, Euractiv has learnt. Read more.

ROME

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will miss Friday's high-level meeting in Berlin where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden will discuss key global issues - a no-show that has already raised concerns in Italy about the country's relevance on the world stage. Read more.

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MADRID

No regularisation for migrants who enter EU illegally, says Vox leader. Migrants entering the EU illegally should know that they will never be regularised, Santiago Abascal, the leader of Spain's far-right Vox party, said on Thursday, while pointing to the Italian-Albanian migrant outsourcing model as an interesting alternative to ease the current crisis. Read more.

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LISBON

Portuguese PM asks for EU budget top-up. There should be an increase in the EU budget, with more contributions from member states, a new joint debt issue and private funds, Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said in Brussels on Thursday. Read more.

Portugal ready to receive migrants but not 'with doors wide open'. Portugal is ready to receive immigrants but will not do so "with its doors wide open", Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said on Thursday, expressing support for EU mechanisms to guarantee the return of migrants in irregular situations. Read more.

CHISINAU

Moldovan citizens were trained in Moscow, as well as in Bosnia and Serbia, including by Wagner fighters, to destabilise Moldova, the Moldovan police, the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS), and the prosecutor's office said in a joint statement on Thursday. Read more.

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WARSAW

Tusk says EU countries understand his government’s stance on asylum. The Polish government's position on asylum rights has been heard and understood by EU countries, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after what he described as fruitful talks on migration at the European Council summit on Thursday. Read more.

SOFIA

Bulgaria suffers sharp drop in foreign investment. Net foreign investment in Bulgaria will be four times lower in 2024 than in the previous year, according to preliminary data from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) released on Thursday. Read more.

• EU: High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell participates in the G7 Ministerial meeting on defence, in Naples, Italy; Participates in New Economy Forum;

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[Edited by Sarantis Michalopoulos, Daniel Eck, Alice Taylor-Braçe]