Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz warned Thursday that EU leaders were still ‘very far apart’ as they kicked off crunch summit talks on the bloc's next long-term budget.
‘We are facing very, very difficult negotiations,’ Merz told journalists arriving at the EU talks in Brussels, voicing hope a deal could yet be sealed this year, but adding that leaders should prepare to ‘pack a few extra shirts’ at a final summit set for Decemb
