European Council President António Costa told ambassadors the EU will always defend the rules-based international order a day after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an interest-driven foreign policy anchored in realpolitik.
Costa said the bloc should not tolerate "violations of international law" citing the United States, Russia, and China, as forces of disruption - from trade to security. While acknowledging that the world is shifting, he said the EU should not move away from its fundamental principles. Instead, the bloc should double down.
