EU heads of state and government meet for summit in Brussels

The 27 leaders of the European Union are gathering in Brussels for a summit with a remarkably busy agenda, the negotiations launched by Donald Trump and new multi-billion plans to rearm the bloc. 

The meeting will also address the need to boost competitiveness, the management of irregular migration, the situation in the Middle East, the multilateral order and the future of the EU budget, which is under severe strain after years of successive crises. 

The list of topics is so extensive that heads of state and government might be forced to stay in the Belgian capital overnight and continue their discussions on Friday morning.