State leaders

European Union officials are confronting a shortfall in funding for Ukraine as defence negotiations proceed in Brussels. The funding gap is set to complicate agreements on the bloc's long-term support for Kyiv and its broader defence planning. Member states remain divided over how to cover the shortfall, making it a central sticking point in the current round of EU defence discussions.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has resigned from the presidency in order to run for prime minister in an early parliamentary vote. The populist leader's move reshuffles Serbia's political landscape, allowing him to retain power through the premiership rather than the presidency, with the election expected to determine the country's governing majority in the coming months.