With the EU approving a €90bn loan for Ukraine, a surprise visit from Prince Harry, and data suggesting Russian troops made almost no territorial gains in March – are there reasons for optimism in Kyiv? Lucy Hough speaks to senior international correspondent Luke Harding – watch on YouTube

Ursula von der Leyen hails ‘good news’ after Hungary’s lifting of vetoes allows leaders to sign off on agreements

EU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc completed the agreement along with a 20th sanctions package against Russia.

After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for a summit in Cyprus that began in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Move comes after Hungary and Slovakia dropped opposition following reopening of the Druzhba oil pipeline

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Kyiv will seek to receive the first tranche of the €90bn European Union loan by the end of May, or early June.

“This is strengthening of our army,” he told reporters in a WhatsApp chat, reported by Reuters.

Exclusive: Brussels seeks to stall awarding of contract to firm fronted by US president’s lawyer in letter seen by Guardian

The EU risks a confrontation with Donald Trump after it sought to stall the awarding of a lucrative Balkans pipeline contract to a company fronted by his personal lawyer, documents seen by the Guardian show.

Brussels has clashed with Trump over trade, Ukraine and military spending, but the intervention in the Southern Interconnection pipeline project appears to mark the first time it has challenged a commercial venture by those close to the president.