Brussels budget battle: Cyprus pushes for energy relief as EU leaders clash over Europe’s future

European leaders left the first day of their Brussels summit without a breakthrough on the EU’s next long-term budget, exposing deep divisions over spending, energy costs and how aggressively the bloc should defend its industries against China.

The meeting on Thursday was supposed to move the European Union closer to a deal on its 2028–2034 budget. Instead, national leaders stuck to their competing demands, leaving European Council President António Costa to take charge of negotiations and...