European Union leaders plan to gather in Brussels on Thursday evening for a two-day summit focused on support for Ukraine, the EU’s next long-term budget and global economic challenges.
The meeting is expected to begin with a reception for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who returns to Brussels for the first time since his most prominent opponent within the EU, former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, was voted out of office earlier this year.
Ukraine has seen a new wave of support from the EU since Budapest lifted its vetoes on several initiatives, ranging from the opening of formal accession talks to the adoption of a €90-billion ($104.5-billion) loan for Kiev.
Turning to economic issues, leaders plan to discuss some of the EU’s most pressing challenges, including the bloc’s faltering competitiveness and broader global issues, like the EU's difficult commercial relationship with China.
On Friday, EU leaders are due to focus their attention on the bloc's next long-term budget for 2028 to 2034, which is currently in the range of €1 trillion to €2 trillion.
Leaders face the challenge of financing the EU’s ever-growing financial and investment needs while many capitals are constrained by tight budgets after years of successive crises.
EU member states and the European Parliament are under pressure to reach an agreement by the end of this year to allow sufficient time for the budget’s implementation.
EU leaders are also due to discuss the situation in the Middle East after mediator Pakistan said a preliminary US-Iran agreement had entered into force.
