EU leaders gather for key summit in bid to unblock Orbán veto on Ukraine aid – Europe live

The EU’s chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, has said he wants to see a greater “sense of urgency” at today’s summit in relation to military support for Ukraine.

“I want to stress the war of Russia against Ukraine is the biggest threat to European security ... We can and we should do more to support Ukraine.

“This is the biggest threat to European security, that is why if we don’t do it, we will pay a higher price.

“My proposal is to increase the military support to Ukraine inside the European Peace Facility.

“I will urge them [the leaders] to reach an agreement as soon as possible because there is no more time.

He added:

“We have in the next month to increase our military support to Ukraine as we have been doing by increasing the numbers of ammunition, but it is still not enough.

“More has to be done. I don’t think we have the sense of urgency when we deal with that. This is going to be an intense discussion.”

Meanwhile a few blocks away: Here are images from the farmers’ protest in Brussels

As Viktor Orbán holds talks with Europe’s most influential leaders, he took to social media to post a photo with the sarcastic description: “casual morning conversation.”

“Ukraine is our top priority,” the European parliament president, Roberta Metsola, told reporters this morning.

She added:

We need an agreement today. And it should be at 27. This will impact our legitimacy, our credibility and our predictability, because Ukraine’s security is Europe’s security.

We also need to top up badly-needed funds that our citizens depend on: on health, on energy, on research.

Metsola also said:

To the farmers that are outside: we see you and we hear you. And if you want your voice to be heard, make it heard also in June, when you vote for the European parliament elections.

She also noted that the European parliament had called for a “permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the return of all hostages – this is the only way to ensure lasting peace and stability in the region.”

Asked what he would be saying to Viktor Orbán at the summit, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk was brief:

“Nothing nice,” he said.

“We need to find a solution as quick as possible,” Latvia’s prime minister, Evika Siliņa, said when arriving at the summit, adding that “the best is 27.”

She added:

I understand that while we are debating, there are also other matters, [which] are important to European citizens. Therefore we need to move forward.

We see farmers today on the streets of Brussels. And there are also other matters in European budget, what need to be solved by common decisions, such as border security, migration and farmers.

So I believe we have to do everything possible to find a solution today and to move forward also to other matters.

Whatever happens today there will be no “cliff edge” for funding in Ukraine, Ireland’s taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

But he warned the only person who would benefit from a lack of agreement today on the €50bn funding for Ukraine would be “Putin”.

“I think it would be another good reason to make sure that we have agreement here.

“I think we have to leave here with the results. I don’t think we can come back here in a few weeks time or a few months time.”

On whether Hungary should remain in the EU if it continues to “blackmail”, in the words of senior EU officials and fellow leaders, he said:

I think Hungary should absolutely stay in the EU countries a European country. And I think their place is in the European Union. There will be governments from time to time and different member states that don’t always act in accordance with European values, but I think we need to think about Hungarian people and what is best for them.

He said he was “very frustrated” by Hungary’s belligerence. “And I think all other heads of governments are too” as the EU system is about “making compromises” on issues that are for “the greater good”.

Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, told reporters that there is “Orbán fatigue.”

Arriving at the summit, the veteran politician said:

I can’t understand, I can’t accept this very strange and very egoistic game of Viktor Orbán. And there is no room for compromise on our principles like rule of law, and for sure there is no room for compromise on Ukraine question.

He added:

My instinct is that we will find some strong arguments to convince at the end of the day also Viktor.

As leaders prepare for the summit, last-minute talks are ongoing to convince Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to sign off on a funding package for Ukraine.

Charles Michel, the European Council president, posted a photo of talks with Orbán.

Sitting around the table are also Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.

As EU leaders arrive for the summit at the Council, farmers are protesting by the European parliament building.

Petteri Orpo, the Finnish prime minister, said “we have [a] very important day today.”

We have very good solution from December between 26 member states. Today, best result would be the solution between 27. If it is not possible, we have to be ready to finalise the decision to help Ukraine and finalise our budget between 26 member states.

He added:

I want to say that we are ready to negotiate, but our values are not [for] sale – and we have to understand that the situation in Ukraine is so difficult, it is crucial to find a solution. And for me it’s unacceptable that one country can block such an important decision.

The Finnish leader stressed: “No one can blackmail 26 EU countries.”

Senior diplomats who spoke with the Guardian this morning were optimistic that a compromise could be reached on a funding package for Ukraine.

One senior diplomat said:

The mood is both of determination and frustration. The deal will be there in any event, just the question is how much Orbán wants to deepen his self-isolation.

Asked if Orbán would agree to a deal, a second senior diplomat said:

I think he will.

Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister, said when arriving at the summit that “our aim is to have a solution for 27 countries, so we try to bring everybody on board.”

She was referring to ongoing efforts to convince Hungary to sign off on a proposed 50 billion euro package for Ukraine.

The Estonian leader also addressed challenges surrounding ammunition.

What is good out of it is that the production of ammunition has tripled in Europe. Of course it’s not enough.

What it also showed is that the defence readiness of European countries is far behind of what it should be. So definitely it sends a clear message to everybody that we should all do more.

Asked about the proposed long-term funding for Ukraine, Kallas said:

Viktor definitely wants to be the centre of attention every time we are here, but it shouldn’t be like this. We should agree and stick to it. And of course we can review decisions we have made, but Ukraine needs a long-term commitment.

The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has arrived in the building.

He was seen entering the summit venue together with his European affairs minister, János Bóka – a key figure in the negotiations – and Hungary’s ambassador to the EU, Bálint Ódor.

The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, swerved dinner with fellow EU leaders last night and instead went on a walk about with farmers, in a move designed to burnish his credentials at home as Europe’s premier populist leader.

“The voice of the people is not taken seriously by the leaders,” he told them.

He made no mention of the European Commission’s proposal yesterday, designed to help farmers by providing an exemption from fallow lands rules.

EU leaders have returned to Brussels for a second showdown in as many months with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán over his refusal to sanction a new €50bn assistance package for Ukraine.

There is a strong sense of frustration among leaders that they are trekking back to the Belgian capital after six weeks of negotiations with Orbán that have amounted to nothing.

Will he, at the moment of reckoning, cave and unite Europe in the face of war with Russia in Ukraine?

Many believe he will.

Or will he continue to insist that he must have annual vetos on the support for the four-year Ukraine facility.

All other member states have agreed the budget, so it could be a short summit.

It will be up to the European Council president, Charles Michel, to assess at which point during proceedings they will call it a day. A tough call.

Other topics on the agenda include the Middle East and strategic technologies to make Europe more competitive.

In the budget box is also €2bn for migration and border management, €1.5bn for solidarity and emergency aid and just under €7.6bn for deals with neighbours such as Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey and others further afield.

Read the full story here.

Arriving at the summit, the Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, calling today’s gathering a “very important one, which really has one main topic: and the main topic is, how do we continue our support to Ukraine.”

He added:

It really is crucial that we come to an agreement, that we come to an agreement with 27 countries.

The Belgian leader also said he is “confident” a compromise is possible.

Good morning and welcome to a special edition of the Europe live blog, coming to you from the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels.

Stay tuned for the latest updates and analysis as the EU’s 27 heads of state and government hold talks about support for Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East – and as farmers protest in Brussels.

The summit was called with the purpose of convincing Hungary’s Viktor Orbán to sign off on a long-term €50bn aid package for Ukraine, which he vetoed in December. It still remains unclear whether the Hungarian leader will agree – though there are signals that a compromise is emerging.

Send comments and tips to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.