Costa Addresses UN General Assembly on Behalf of the EU, Urges Maximum Leverage on Russia

European Council President António Costa addressed the UN General Assembly's high-level week on behalf of the EU, reaffirming the bloc's support for an effective, inclusive, rules-based multilateral system rooted in the UN Charter and international law. Costa called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a 'devastating act of aggression' with global consequences for food security, energy markets, migration and development, and urged the international community to 'use every lever at its disposal with regard to Russia' to end the war and create conditions for a just and lasting peace. The address followed Costa's participation, alongside Canada and Kenya, in a 'Partners for multilateralism, international law, peace and prosperity' summit on 21 September.