Watch: The European Commission is still waiting for Hungary to clarify what kind of information its foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, shared with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. Trust between member states and the institutions is “fundamental”.

The European Commission has approved the SAFE plans of France (€15 billion) and the Czech Republic (€2 billion). This means that Hungary's plan (€16 billion) is the only one left pending. Inevitably, SAFE has become entangled in the dispute over Druzhba and the veto on the Ukraine loan.

Worrying news: Europe is losing LNG shipments to Asia as the war in the Middle East pushes prices higher. Italy, Poland and Belgium scramble for alternative supplies in a mega-competitive market.

Lille has been elected the host city for the future European Union customs authority (EUCA), which is expected to have around 250 staff members. The other candidates were: Liège, Zagreb, Rome, The Hague, Warsaw, Porto, Bucharest and Málaga.

Oschadbank authorities say the team that was detained in Hungary was subject to "moral and psychological pressure", "beatings", and a "forced" medical injection. The seized valuables ($40 million, €35 million, and 9kg of gold) are still in Hungary.

Orbán's veto of the €90bn Ukraine loan is a direct challenge to the European Council — and to its president, António Costa. @JorgeLiboreiro examines how the standoff could reshape Costa's time in office. 👇 https://l.euronews.com/mK4k

When it comes to Viktor Orbán's veto, one man stands to lose the most: António Costa. The blockage of the €90 billion loan to Ukraine is the biggest challenge yet to the authority of the European Council president. How the standoff ends could shape Costa's remaining time in office. My analysis.

Losing is the new winning? The Social Democrats of Mette Frederiksen got their worst result in over 100 years. But she remains in pole position to lead a new goverment. The Moderates of Lars Lokke Rasmussen, with 14 seats, emerge as kingmakers in the future coalition.

The Trump administration's decision to ease sanctions on Iranian oil at sea could bring Iran a $14 billion windfall. Yes, $14 billion to the country the US is fighting against.

An article impersonating Euronews and using my own name in the byline spread widely online as part of a Russian disinformation operation. The article was full of fake news about the Hungarian elections. Big thanks to @tamsinpatn.bsky.social for the fact check.

Donald Tusk: "Orban’s Foreign Minister has confirmed that he systematically informed Moscow what EU leaders talked about behind closed doors. What a disgrace."

Despite the change in timing, the Commission insisted "the proposal will be made" and warned that a return to Russian fossil fuels after the war would be a "strategic blunder".

The European Commission has postponed its proposal to permanently ban imports of Russian oil, which was tentatively scheduled for 15 April. The delay was expected amid the war in the Middle East, rising oil prices and the dispute over the Druzhba pipeline. Full story.

High Representative Kaja Kallas expects that "the legal duty of sincere cooperation is upheld at all times and all member states must support the Union in achieving these goals and also must avoid taking any action that would undermine this," her spokesperson says.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó now admits he speaks to Sergei Lavrov before and after key EU meetings. "I talk not only to the Russian Foreign Minister, but also to our American, Turkish, Israeli, Serbian and others before and after EU Council meetings," Szijjártó said.

The European Union and Australia have signed a free trade agreement after years of failed negotiations. The deal facilitates access to Australia's critical raw materials and eliminates about €1 billion in annual tariffs for European companies of all sizes. 🇪🇺🤝🇦🇺

Trump continues to reverse America's energy transition: His administration will pay TotalEnergies $928 million to abandon its plans to build wind farms off the East Coast. In exchange, TotalEnergies will invest that money in oil and gas projects in the United States.

Germany has called on Hungary to clarify allegations that it leaked confidential EU information to Russia. “The allegations currently on the table certainly cannot be swept under the carpet with an X post,” the German Foreign Office spokesman said.

Giorgia Meloni suffers her first major defeat: Italians reject her proposed overhaul of the judicial system. Many didn’t understand the reform and turned the proposal into a referendum on her rule. ✅ In favour: 46.26% ❌ Against: 53.74%

The European Commission says media reports suggesting Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó shared confidential reports of ministerial meetings with Russia's Sergey Lavrov are "greatly concerning" and urges Budapest to provide "clarifications".

Donald Trump has instructed the US army to postpone "any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure" for five days pending further progress on negotiations. TACO incoming?

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says Orbán's veto during the summit was "unacceptable but not surprising". "The criticism of Hungary was fierce. But the rest of us won't play along and become props in Orbán's own Hungarian election campaign."

Donald Tusk: "The news that Orbán’s people inform Moscow about EU Council meetings in every detail shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. We’ve had our suspicions about that for a long time. That’s one reason why I take the floor only when strictly necessary and say just as much as necessary."

A bombshell report by the Washington Post suggests Hungary’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, shared confidential reports of EU Council meetings with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov. Budapest denies it.

EU leaders say Viktor Orbán’s veto on the Ukraine loan is “unacceptable” — yet it’s being accepted without consequences. In fact, the EU has offered to pay for the repairs of the Druzhba pipeline. My question to António Costa ⬇️

France has intervened another vessel of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, just as the US further eases sanctions. “The war involving Iran will not deflect France from its support for Ukraine,” says President Emmanuel Macron.

Viktor Orbán's veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine triggers absolute fury and pushes EU rules to the breaking point. "Nobody can blackmail the European Council," said António Costa, whose authority is under threat. Final piece of the EU summit.

#EUCO latest: the summit is over.

#EUCO latest: EU leaders call for a "moratorium on strikes against energy and water facilities" in the Middle East and urge "de-escalation and maximum restraint". They also express readiness to secure the Strait of Hormuz "once the conditions are met", meaning once hostilities end.

🚨 Just in: the United States ​has issued ‌a new general ​licence allowing ​the delivery and ⁠sale ​of Russian-origin ​crude oil and petroleum products ​loaded ​on tankers as of ‌March ⁠12, @reuters.com reports citing the ​US ​Treasury ⁠Department. A new win for Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine is "ready" to reopen the debate on the reparations loans, Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko tells @euronews.com. "We really think that it's fair enough to expect that Russia should pay for the damages they've done in Ukraine. That's why no doubts from my side."

EU leaders have ended their discussion on the Middle East. As expected, they didn't commit to any concrete measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, fearing that doing so would drag them into the conflict. France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands are willing to contribute once hostilities end.

Quite a picture from AP: Viktor Orbán watches from outside the main table as Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to EU leaders via video link.

New: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan say they are ready to "contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz. "Maritime security and freedom of navigation benefit all countries."

Confirmed: the European Council will not reopen the discussion on Ukraine. Leaders give up today. They realise there's no point in trying to convince Orbán to lift his veto three weeks before the Hungarian elections.

EU leaders have adopted joint #EUCO conclusions on Ukraine without Hungary and Slovakia. This means the vetoes on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia remain firmly in place.

EU leaders have finished their discussion on Ukraine. António Costa criticised Viktor Orbán's veto, saying "this kind of behaviour is not acceptable, and it violates the principles of good faith and of sincere cooperation enshrined in the Treaties", per an EU official.

Slovakia and Hungary harshly criticise the European Commission for excluding their experts from the inspection to the Druzhba pipeline. “Their exclusion raises fundamental questions regarding the credibility and objectivity of any conclusions,” they say.

Rob Jetten appears to be popular at his first EU summit.

Friedrich Merz and Pedro Sánchez meet for the first time since Donald Trump threatened a trade embargo against Spain in front of the German chancellor.

Sánchez raises the alarm. "Unfortunately, there are political groups, there are governments that are using this crisis, this rise in electricity prices, to undermine, question and try to weaken climate policies."

Pedro Sánchez says the US war on Iran is "illegal". "Europe is based on the principles of multilateralism, therefore, on shared, not unilateral, decisions, on international law, on peace, on respect for peaceful coexistence between nations and between societies."

Kaja Kallas takes a swipe at Viktor Orbán: "I guess, you know, in the time of elections, people are not that rational."

Viktor Orbán vows at #EUCO to keep his veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine until oil flows back through the Druzhba pipeline. "We are ready to support Ukraine when we get our oil, which is being blocked by them. Until then, there is no decision that is favourable for Ukraine."

Rob Jetten defends the ETS at #EUCO: "Let me be clear. The ETS system was crucial to speed up the transition in Europe. And without the ETS system, we would now be importing billions and billions of fossil fuels from outside of Europe."

De Wever on Trump's request to reopen the Strait of Hormuz: "For now, I can tell you that Belgium has no intention to get implicated in the war on Iran. None whatsoever."

Bart De Wever at #EUCO: "Belgium wants to keep supporting Ukraine 100% and keep pressure on Russia very high. What I said is that I don't think it's normal that we're financing a war, but we're not represented at the negotiating table.

Here we go: EU leaders gather in Brussels to challenge Viktor Orbán's veto on the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Also on the agenda: the war in Iran, high energy prices, Buy European, migration, trade and the multilateral system. Follow our live blog.

Kaja Kallas: “The execution of a Swedish citizen by the Iranian regime is a brutal act of senseless violence and we condemn it. The European Union continues to call on Iran to halt all executions and to abolish capital punishment.“

Fancy a packed EU summit? Hungary's veto on the €90 billion Ukraine loan, the spiralling war in the Middle East and high energy prices are set to dominate the talks on Thursday. But there's more – much more. Here's your essential curtain-raiser.