The EU summit in Brussels has concluded without a breakthrough on the bloc's long-term budget for 2028-2034. Deep divisions persist between fiscally conservative nations led by Germany and those advocating for regional and agricultural funding. The lack of consensus complicates plans for increased investment in defense and competitiveness. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested at least 70 billion euros in additional aid, further straining the EU's financial planning. The summit also underscored Europe's strategic dependency on U.S. military technology and its vulnerability to energy price spikes. Debates over climate policy highlighted a rift, with some nations pushing to delay carbon pricing systems to mitigate economic strain, while Nordic countries fear this could undermine environmental targets. European Council President Antonio Costa faces a challenging path to secure a budgetary agreement before the end of the year.