A beer for Ukraine

Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs proposed on 15 October that each European drink one beer less per year and direct the saved money to defending Ukraine against Russia. He made the remark to reporters at the start of the first day of the European Council summit in Brussels. Kulbergs framed the cost of a beer as trivial next to the human lives at stake in Ukraine, arguing that Europeans would drink less while Ukrainians kept their lives. His country shares a border with Russia, which he cited as a reason for urgency.

The figures behind the pitch come from the latest report of The Brewers of Europe. The EU consumed 29.128 billion litres of beer in 2025, according to the association, and reports built on those numbers put average consumption at about 79 litres per person a year, roughly 239 bottles of 33 centilitres. Coverage also stressed that a beer not bought does not automatically become aid. The money stays with consumers unless it is donated or routed through a mechanism, and the EU does not collect it on its own.

Winter and sanctions

Kulbergs said Ukraine faces a very hard winter as hostilities with Moscow intensify. He told the 27 member states that they must be able to show their strength and learn not to rely on others when it comes to backing Kyiv. He argued that Russia is making no significant advances on the front and is suffering heavy losses, yet he still urged Europe to keep its support steady.

He also called for new sanctions against Russia and a ban on tourist visas for Russian nationals. Kulbergs repeated the Baltic states' call to ban Russian grain exports through the EU, a request the three countries put in a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa. He contrasted the situation, saying Ukrainians cannot export grain because the Black Sea is closed while Russia is still able to do so.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for everything possible to be done to help Ukraine get through the winter and to support it next year. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said the EU should move up a gear. Several leaders thus pressed for a firmer commitment to Kyiv at the same summit.

Strains with Washington

Several leaders said relations between Kyiv and Washington had recently deteriorated. The shift followed the announcement of an agreement between the United States and Russia on the supply of diesel and a temporary easing of US sanctions on Russian energy exports.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU takes a clearly different approach to the war, arguing that pressure should fall on the aggressor rather than on the victim. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the Western alliance was in a worse position than it had been a few days earlier. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said he still trusted the American partner, while adding that even a good friend sometimes needs to be reminded of what is right.

Zelensky's visit and the budget

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels on 15 October to hold talks with several leaders. In a post on X he cited meetings with the NATO Secretary General and European leaders including Bart De Wever and Emmanuel Macron. He was also due to be received by the Belgian king.

On 16 October Zelensky is due to meet EU leaders as an invited guest to discuss how the war with Russia is developing. The summit will also take up the EU's multi-year budget, a subject on which member states have not yet reached a common position.