EU Looks to Channel Momentum From NATO Summit

Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.

EU leaders gather today to discuss conflicts encircling the region, a day after NATO approved a historic boost to defense spending to position the alliance for a new age of warfare. The agreement was a boon for President Donald Trump, who had pressed European members of the alliance to stump up more cash. But it was equally important for EU nations, who had leveraged some royal pomp and much flattery to sway Trump on NATO’s importance. Now EU leaders are readying a message of strong support for Ukraine, despite Hungary blocking progress on membership talks for the war-torn nation. The summit is expected to give the green light to a new package of Russian sanctions, but before that, the Commission needs to address Hungary and Slovakia’s concerns over plans to phase out Russian gas imports by 2027.