EU must give Ukraine what it needs to be 'strong': EU chief

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen urged the bloc's 27 leaders to back massive financial aid for Ukraine and Kyiv's ambitions for membership talks, ahead of a crunch summit. "We must give Ukraine what it needs to be strong today. So it can be stronger tomorrow at the table when it is negotiating a long lasting and just peace," the European Commission president told MEPs. EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday. They face a major challenge overcoming opposition from Hungary -- Russia's closest ally in the bloc-to fresh support for Kyiv almost two years after Russia's all-out invasion.