Good morning from Brussels, where the second day of the EU summit is getting underway. I’m Mared Gwyn.
Let’s first bring you up to speed on last night’s EU summit talks, which dragged on longer than expected. European Council President Antonio Costa’s surprise decision to open a diplomatic channel to Moscow dominated discussions. Several leaders expressed concern about limited consultation before Costa’s team contacted Russian officials, though some, including Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever, supported his potential role in peace negotiations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged leaders to accelerate Kyiv’s EU membership negotiations and endorse its fast-track bid, a contentious issue dividing the bloc. Meanwhile, EU leaders agreed to empower Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to develop tools against unfair Chinese trade practices, including anti-dumping duties and sector-specific tariffs, amid a €360 billion trade deficit with China.
Today’s focus shifts to the contentious Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF), splitting members into frugal states demanding cuts and 16 “Friends of Cohesion” seeking agricultural funding preservation. Swedish officials criticized the proposed €32.8 billion allocation as excessive, emphasizing fiscal responsibility.