EU and African Leaders Meet in Angola to Boost Trade and Secure Minerals as Ukraine Plan Looms

European and African leaders gather in Luanda for a two-day summit aimed at deepening economic and security cooperation — and at addressing a controversial US proposal to end the war in Ukraine. Heads of state expected to attend include France’s Emmanuel Macron, Germany’s Friedrich Merz and Kenya’s William Ruto, alongside dozens of delegations from the European Union and African countries.

Context and high-level aims

The summit marks 25 years of EU–African Union relations and comes amid growing geopolitical competition as China, Russia, the United States and other partners court African governments for access to minerals, energy and influence. Organizers say talks will focus on trade, migration, security cooperation and securing critical raw materials needed for Europe’s green transition.

Tensions over a US Ukraine plan

EU delegates will also use the meeting to discuss a draft 28-point peace plan put forward by the United States to halt Russia’s war in Ukraine — a proposal many in Europe initially viewed as favoring Moscow. After senior US and Ukrainian representatives met to consider revisions, EU leaders scheduled a special meeting on the sidelines of the Luanda summit to coordinate their response. “There is still a lot of work to be done on the 28-point plan,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said ahead of the talks.

Trade, investment and intra-African commerce

Boosting trade is expected to be a top priority. The EU remains Africa’s largest source of foreign direct investment and its biggest trading partner; Brussels reports trade in goods and services reached roughly €467 billion in 2023. Officials say the bloc will offer expertise to help expand intra-African trade, which currently accounts for only about 15% of the continent’s commerce.

Critical minerals and the Global Gateway

The EU is pressing to secure critical minerals and reduce dependency on China for rare earths and other components essential to technology and the energy transition. Delegations will highlight new investments under the EU’s Global Gateway infrastructure initiative — including the Lobito corridor, a railway project linking mineral-rich areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia to the Atlantic coast in partnership with the United States.

Challenges and calls for credibility

Analysts warn that Europe can no longer rely on historical ties alone. Geert Laporte of the ECDPM think tank said African governments now have more partners and bargaining power, so EU capitals must present an attractive, practical offer. “We don’t have that situation anymore where Europe was the only partner,” he said.

African spokespeople and local experts are urging concrete delivery rather than rhetoric. “Africa is looking not for new declarations but for credible, implementable commitments,” AU spokesman Nuur Mohamud Sheekh said. Critics of some Global Gateway projects argue they risk repeating extractive patterns and have not yet delivered measurable local benefits. “Investment must move from PowerPoint to the factory floor,” said Ikemesit Effiong of consultancy SBM Intelligence. “Europe’s credibility now depends on whether it can support projects that create real value in Africa, not just visibility for Brussels.”

The summit will test whether pledges translate into tangible jobs, industrial capacity and infrastructure that benefit African communities, while also shaping Europe's strategic stance amid wider geopolitical competition and the unfolding diplomatic efforts around Ukraine.