The Commission has proposed an EU-US deal to cut respective tariffs on industrial goods to zero, along with potential further EU purchases of liquefied natural gas and soybeans.

Washington has shown little obvious interest, preferring to highlight items it considers as barriers, such as EU value-added tax, environmental standards and rules on online platforms, on which the EU does not want to move.

On the sidelines of the summit, EU leaders will also seek to allay the concerns of Slovakia and Hungary over ending their access to Russian gas as foreseen by the EU’s plan to phase out all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027.

EU diplomats said EU leaders’ assurances over gas should allow the two countries to back the EU’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which they are now blocking.

The sanctions could be adopted by EU governments on Friday.

But the EU might have to drop from the package its proposal to lower the price cap on Russian seaborne oil to $45 per barrel from the current $60, because the measure has failed to win the support of the US and EU countries with big oil shipping industries - Greece, Malta and Cyprus are also against it.