European and African leaders are meeting in Luanda on Monday for a summit aimed at boosting trade, security, and mineral cooperation — but the war in Ukraine is expected to dominate behind-the-scenes discussions.
France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz, and Kenya’s William Ruto are among the leaders attending the two-day gathering, which coincides with a widening US–EU split over Washington’s draft peace plan for Ukraine. After US and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva on Sunday to revise the proposal, EU leaders scheduled an urgent side meeting in Angola to coordinate their response.
“There is still a lot of work to be done on the 28-point plan,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said.
The Angola summit marks 25 years of EU-AU relations and comes at a time when Europe’s influence in Africa is being challenged by China, Russia, Turkey, and Gulf states seeking access to minerals, markets, and political alliances. Despite being Africa’s largest investor and trading partner — with trade worth €467 billion in 2023 — the EU faces growing resentment tied to its colonial legacy and unfulfilled development promises.
Key discussions will focus on migration, security, and boosting intra-African trade, which remains only 15 percent of total trade on the continent. The EU will also seek agreements on critical minerals needed for its green transition and announce new Global Gateway projects, including the Lobito Corridor railway linking mineral-rich regions of Congo and Zambia to the Atlantic coast.
But analysts warn that Europe must deliver more than promises. “Investment must move from PowerPoint to the factory floor,” said Ikemesit Effiong of SBM Intelligence. “Europe’s credibility rests on producing real value for African communities.”
