European Parliament President Martin Schulz, left, speaks with Council President Donald Tusk (and Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images Dear Martin, we’ll miss you. Love from Donald and Jean-Claude Council and Commission presidents heap praise on Berlin-bound Martin Schulz.

The president of the European Commission on Thursday expressed "regret" over Martin Schulz's decision to swap Brussels for Berlin.

Jean-Claude Juncker described Schulz, who in the early hours of Thursday told POLITICO he will step down as European Parliament president and seek election to the German parliament, as a "convinced and convincing European," adding that Schulz was "still going to be useful to us in Berlin."

Juncker was speaking alongside European Council President Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko at a news conference following an EU-Ukraine summit in Brussels.

Tusk described his time working with Schulz as "exciting and excellent." He said he believed Schulz "will be as effective in German politics as he was here in Brussels."

Poroshenko joined in with the praise, saying Schulz was a "great European and politician" who was "very important for keeping European unity."

Juncker and Tusk refused to an answer a question on whether they intended to resign to make way for someone from a different political family. However, Juncker jokingly said "he is" and pointed at Tusk.

They are both members of the center-right European People's Party, while Schulz is from the Socialists and Democrats group.

After Poroshenko was asked if he thought Europe was in good health — he said it was — Tusk and Juncker gave updates on their own fitness.

Tusk said his time at this year's Brussels Half Marathon was "significantly" below two hours. Juncker said he didn't run marathons — half or full — but he did run between offices in the Commission's Berlaymont headquarters.