Zelenskyy to join EU summit to rally support after difficult Trump meeting - follow live

EU leaders gathering in Brussels on Thursday will have one clear goal in mind: to back Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace efforts and keep US President Donald Trump on board.
Zelenskyy will attend the summit in person as European heads of state rally around him after a difficult meeting in Washington last week.
Late on Wednesday, EU countries greenlighted the 19th package of sanctions, which targets Russian liquified natural gas (LNG), oil infrastructure, the "shadow fleet" and crypto, as well as the movements of Russian diplomats across the bloc.
However, one of the thorniest points of discussion will be over the Commission's plan for a reparation loan - ie, using immobilised Russian assets held in Belgium to finance Kyiv's defence and reconstruction - with the EU keen to ensure it is legally airtight.
Other issues leaders will chew on also include moving forward with plans to boost European defence, and how to bolster the bloc's competitiveness while keeping true to its climate commitments. In fact, one EU official described the climate file as "the most difficult" for leaders to address.
Other items on the agenda include the Middle East, migration and housing.
Follow the action in our live blob below (which will kick off at 08:00 CET on Thursday):
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