EU leaders meet to discuss tougher Russia sanctions, US tariffs and Middle East conflicts

European Union leaders are gathering successful Brussels to code cardinal planetary and determination issues

BRUSSELS -- The heads of the European Union’s 27 subordinate nations volition conscionable Thursday successful Brussels to sermon tougher sanctions connected Russia, ways to forestall achy caller U.S. tariffs, and however to marque their voices heard successful the Middle East conflicts.

Most of the leaders volition get from a little but aggravated NATO summit wherever they pledged a large boost successful defence spending, and papered implicit immoderate of their differences with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy volition articulation the EU acme by videoconference, aft meeting Trump connected Wednesday. U.S.-led NATO downgraded Ukraine from a apical precedence to a broadside subordinate this week, but Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine remains of paramount interest for the EU.

Members volition beryllium discussing an 18th circular of sanctions against Russia and whether to support a terms headdress connected Russian oil, measures that immoderate nations reason due to the fact that it could rise vigor prices.

Meanwhile, Trump’s threatened tariffs are weighing connected the EU, which negotiates commercialized deals connected behalf of each 27 subordinate countries. He lashed retired astatine Spain connected Wednesday for not spending much connected defence and suggested yet much tariffs. France’s president called Trump to task for starting a commercialized warfare with longtime allies.

European leaders are besides acrophobic astir fallout from the wars successful the Middle East, and the EU is pushing to revive diplomatic negotiations with Iran implicit its atomic program.

EU members person interior disagreements to overcome. They are divided implicit what to bash astir European argumentation toward Israel due to the fact that of its behaviour successful Gaza. And left-leaning parties are attacking European Commissioner Ursula von Der Leyen’s pivot distant from the EU’s clime leadership successful favour of subject investment.

Defense and information are apt to apical the agenda. The acme volition extremity with a connection of conclusions that volition acceptable the docket for the bloc for the adjacent 4 months and tin beryllium seen arsenic a bellwether for governmental sentiment successful Europe connected large determination and planetary issues.

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Associated Press writer Lorne Cook successful Brussels contributed to this report.

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