EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on December 13 urged the bloc's 27 leaders to back massive financial aid for Ukraine and Kyiv's ambitions for membership talks, ahead of a crunch summit. "We must give Ukraine what it needs to be strong today. So it can be stronger tomorrow at the table when it is negotiating a long-lasting and just peace," she told MEPs. EU leaders will meet in Brussels on December 14. They face a major challenge overcoming opposition from Hungary -- Russia's closest ally in the bloc -- to fresh support for Kyiv almost two years after Russia's all-out invasion.
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