What to know as European leaders meet in Dublin to discuss Ukraine's security, and their own

DUBLIN (AP) — Leaders from more than 40 European countries are gathering in Dublin on Thursday for a summit focused on the continent’s fragile security, amid a new U.S.-backed effort to revive talks on ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

The meeting of the European Political Community brings together heads of state and government from the European Union and other European countries including the U.K., as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the EPC allowed European leaders “to come together to advance the security, stability and prosperity of our continent.”

“It was established as part of the collective European response to growing regional and global political instability, and to bring more coherence to challenges we face across our continent,” he said as he welcomed Zelenskyy to Dublin on Wednesday.

The summit is an opportunity for Zelenskyy and European allies to digest the result of this week's U.S.-mediated talks in Abu Dhabi on the almost five-year-old Russia-Ukraine war. American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet Zelenskyy in Dublin after talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Thursday.

The EPC is the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron and former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and was established in 2022 as a forum for countries both inside and outside the 27-nation EU after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine shattered Europe’s sense of security.

Zelenskyy routinely attends, and the war in his country often dominates talks.

The grouping that unites almost 50 nations across Europe, barring Russia and Belarus, also became a forum for European security discussion after U.S. President Donald Trump returned to office in 2024. He alarmed European leaders with his insults to NATO allies and threats to take control of Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark.

Carney’s attendance is a sign of his desire to bring Canada closer to Europe after Trump launched a trade war with the United States’ northern neighbor and repeatedly talked about making it the 51st state.

U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham is also seeking closer ties with the European Union, almost six years after Britain left the EU. The EPC gives Britain the chance to join a Europe-wide political gathering, despite Brexit.

The group meets twice a year, once in an EU country and once outside the bloc. The next gathering is due to be held in April in Zurich, Switzerland.

Critics claim the forum was an attempt to put the brakes on EU enlargement by offering a seat at a big European table without the advantages of membership.

Others believe it has become a talking shop, devoid of any real clout or content. Its meetings don’t make binding decisions or produce formal declarations.

The meeting comes at a moment of political upheaval in Europe, and days after a rout of Republicans in the U.S. midterm elections weakened Trump’s hold on the levers of power, at least domestically. It remains to be seen whether the setback will alter Trump’s approach to the war in Ukraine and the conflict with Iran that he started.

Populist leaders have recently been ousted in Serbia and in Hungary, and the European Union and Britain are rebuilding ties, a decade after Britons voted to leave the bloc.

But the hard right is still on the rise in Europe, having recently made gains in regional elections in Germany. Voters in several of the continent’s biggest countries — Spain, France, Italy and Poland — all go to the polls in the weeks and months ahead.

Beyond Ukraine, security discussions will focus on the hybrid threat across Europe from Russia, which has been accused of launching disruptive attacks on key infrastructure that fall below the threshold of war.

A year ago in Copenhagen, the leaders focused on a series of worrying drone incidents across Europe. In the days before this week's meeting, airlines and media outlets in several European countries were hit with hoax bomb threats. Among the targets of the disruption were Irish airline Ryanair and the country’s national broadcaster, RTE.

European nations have not formally assigned blame for the threats.

The Irish government said the EPC is the "largest ever gathering of international leaders" held in Ireland, and the largest policing and security operation in the 100-year history of its national police force, the Garda Síochána.

Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this story.

Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham visits the Siemens Rail Technology Centre (SRTC) of Siemens Mobility near Chippenham, England, Friday, Nov. 6, 2026.(AP Photo/Anthony Upton, Pool)

Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks in Montreal, on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, where he highlighted the government's investment in culture following last week's federal budget. (Graham Hughes /The Canadian Press via AP)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin prepare to leave the podium after addressing a press conference in Dublin, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) Summit. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a press conference after a bilateral meeting with Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026 ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) Summit.(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin, right, and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Government Buildings in Dublin, Ireland, Wednesday Nov. 11, 2026. (Cathal McNaughton/Pool Photo via AP)

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AP) — Debutant fast bowler Saqib Khan led Pakistan’s comeback in the first cricket test with a seven-wicket haul as Sri Lanka took a first-innings lead of 12 runs on Thursday.

Saqib picked up 7-130 and made full use of perfect overcast conditions with his incisive swing bowling to dismiss Sri Lanka for 446 inside 1 1/2 hours on Day 4 as the visitors lost their last six wickets for 42 runs.

Saqib had Asitha Fernando caught behind through review that gave wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori his sixth catch behind the wickets and the 31-year-old pace bowler became only the fourth bowler after Mohammad Nazir, Mohammad Zahid and Abrar Ahmed to grab seven wickets in an innings on test debut for Pakistan.

Fernando had one of the four Pakistan debutants Tayyab Arif trapped leg before wicket as Pakistan reached 39-1 in the second innings at lunch for an overall lead of 27 runs. Azan Awais was unbeaten on 16 with Mohammad Taha not out on 12.

The greenish wicket on which Sri Lanka lost only one wicket on the second day sprung to life in favorable conditions with seven wickets falling in the first session on the fourth day.

In a relentless eight-over spell on the fourth morning, Saqib grabbed 5-25 after Sri Lanka had resumed on a formidable 404-4 on the back of centurions Dhananjaya de Silva and captain Kusal Mendis.

Saqib struck off the fifth ball of the morning to break the 249-run stand when he found the outside edge of de Silva's bat, who couldn’t add to his overnight 167.

Saud Shakeel, who had dropped de Silva on 38 on the third day, once again spilled a low catch off Mendis, but two balls later Ghori brought up another spectacular diving catch off Saqib’s probing delivery outside the off stump to end Sri Lanka skipper’s knock of 119.

Sri Lanka’s rising star Sonal Dinusha, who has already scored three centuries and two half centuries in his previous five test matches, made 20 before he went for an expansive drive against Saqib and edged to slips cordon as the pacer kissed the turf to complete the five-wicket haul.

Milan Rathnayake overtook Pakistan’s first-innings score of 434-9 declared with a pulled boundary off Razaullah before Saqib grabbed two more and Razaullah (1-140) wrapped up a perfect morning for Pakistan by having Rathnayake caught at deep fine leg.

See AP’s full cricket coverage here

Sri Lanka's Asitha Fernando celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Pakistan's Tayyab Arif during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saqib Khan walks off the field after taking seven wickets during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saqib Khan performs Sajdah, a prayer bow in gratitude to God, after taking his fifth wicket during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan's Saqib Khan appeals for an LBW against Sri Lanka's Lahiru Kumara during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)