Talk, deal, strengthen: How the EU plans to manage Donald Trump's comeback

Dr Luigi Scazzieri, a senior researcher at the Centre for European Reform (CER), believes EU leaders are trying to "project unity and avoid a descent into a scramble." But that unity, he cautioned, could fall apart if the common strategy to cope with Trump ends in failure and capitals seek tailor-made deals, undermining Brussels along the way.

"When it comes to diplomatic unity over issues like China or Ukraine, the challenge is that some members, like Italy or Hungary, think that they have a privileged channel to Trump, and therefore may be difficult to keep onboard," Scazzieri told Euronews.