Few Syrian refugees in Jordan are returning to their home country, said Jordan's interior minister, Mazin Abdellah Hilal Al Farrayeh, as Damascus grapples with a security vacuum and lack of investment.

Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico has dropped his veto on further Russia sanctions, in return for a non-committal paragraph on energy prices.

EU leaders gathered in Brussels on Thursday to discuss matters ranging from defence and housing to climate targets, but the agenda is clearly topped by Ukraine. But can Europe turn political agreement into real financial support for Kyiv without crossing legal red lines?

EU states are struggling with upcoming border rules that critics say could led to detention-like centres. Under the new regime authorities will have only seven days to screen a prospective asylum seeker.

Today, we kick off an anniversary campaign to convince new supporting members to join EUobserver's mission of providing the information citizens need to safeguard EU democracy.

Russian spies are still active in the EU capital and have a "higher risk appetite" than before the Ukraine war — despite Belgium's efforts to push back against their plots.