EU leaders weigh Ukraine membership and next multi-billion-euro budget at Brussels summit
European Union leaders meeting in Brussels discussed the next phase of Ukraine's membership negotiations and the broad shape of the 2028-2034 multi-annual budget. The Commission's proposed €1.8tn framework boosts defence and transition investment. Hungary and Slovakia are expected to keep blocking Ukraine's progress.
European Union leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday concentrated on two files on the second day of the summit: the next phase of Ukraine's accession talks and the 2028-2034 multi-annual financial framework. The Commission's March draft, a €1.8tn package, increases lines for defence spending, the green transition and digital infrastructure.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovakia's Robert Fico said they would continue to block progress on Ukraine. Poland, Germany and France pushed to keep the accession calendar intact. Council President António Costa said after the meeting that 'a large majority' of member states still back the 2030 target. Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko joined remotely.
On the budget, the Netherlands, Austria and Denmark put forward new proposals to cap the share borne by net contributors. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said her team would draft a compromise text allowing defence and migration envelopes to be voted on separately. An extraordinary summit scheduled for next month will set the broader budget frame.
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