EU leaders to resume talks on the bloc’s security — from Ukraine to defense

EU leaders return Friday for their second day of marathon talks, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make a direct pitch for more help amid a crisis of faith among allies over Donald Trump’s latest steps favoring Russia.

Leaders are then expected to turn to the question of how to protect the bloc from Russian hybrid attacks, maritime security and the Middle East — as well how to tackle migration, with the stage set for a showdown over whether to push for tougher controls.

On Thursday, a three-hour argument over taxing car emissions derailed Antonio Costa’s carefully laid plans to tackle the biggest challenges facing the bloc: fixing its economy and sorting out its spending priorities, drawing ire from some diplomats.

As leaders piled into their motorcades around midnight after 14 hours of talks, they seemed as far away as ever on negotiations over the bloc’s next long-term budget — with the next serious round of talks slipping to November.