EU leaders convene in Brussels for a crucial summit overshadowed by wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The focus has shifted from competitiveness to crisis management due to rising energy prices and geopolitical tensions. Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán's veto of a €90 billion loan for Ukraine has sparked outrage, while discussions on the EU's carbon pricing rules are contentious. Iceland considers EU membership for economic security amid global instability, and Japan seeks closer ties with Europe in light of US unpredictability.