EU-Western Balkans Summit in Montenegro: Leaders gathered in Tivat to push a faster, more credible EU enlargement path for six candidates, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressing reforms must move quickly once delivered. France and Germany backed a “gradual integration” idea, while EU Council President António Costa said the bloc wants consensus on a merit-based process that still speeds things up. Montenegro’s EU bid: The host state is framed as a test case, with officials pointing to progress and the goal of reaching membership by 2028. Security around the summit: Montenegro tightened security after intelligence warnings and turned away 87 Serbian nationals over alleged destabilization risks. Regional diplomacy: Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić welcomed the Macron–Merz proposal on gradual integration, while Germany’s Merz told Belgrade it must choose Europe. Ukraine peace talks push: Macron said he will meet Zelensky with UK and Germany to structure support for future negotiations, after Zelensky’s letter calling for direct talks with Putin. Romania drone incident: A sea drone exploded in Constanța with no casualties; Romania blamed the type used in Ukraine, while Russia claimed it was Ukrainian. Albania resort protests: Albania’s PM Edi Rama dismissed concerns over a Trump-linked luxury resort near protected areas, saying there’s “no reason to worry” until a project is approved. Ireland bans Israeli ministers: Ireland barred Ben-Gvir and Smotrich from entering, citing their stance on Gaza and Palestinians, and signaled EU-level sanctions.