President-elect Donald Trump said he is planning a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he wants to end the "bloody mess" of the Ukraine war.

President-elect Trump said late Thursday that a meeting is in the works with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. Why it matters: Trump said on the campaign trail that he would swiftly end the nearly three-year-old war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office.

Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.

The European Union is prepared to take a leading role in supporting Ukraine if U.S. backing wanes, EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Jan. 9 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, German media outlet Tagesschau reported.

As reported by AFP, Kallas expressed hope that Washington will maintain its support for Ukraine. “I am really confident that all other members, and hopefully also the United States, are ready to continue supporting Ukraine,

Ukraine’s suspension of Russian gas transit through its territory is not a threat to EU energy security. However, the bloc’s member states should continue working towards their goal of becoming indepe

When asked about whether such a move caused any kind of emergency in Slovakia, European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said that the Gas Coordination Group held talks last week and concluded that "there are no security supplies issues or concerns for the European Union following the end of the transit.

Thousands of protesters in the Slovak capital held banners and chanted slogans on Friday accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of dragging the country towards Russia after he met President Vladimir Putin last month amid a gas dispute with Ukraine.