Leaders from across the European Union were set to meet on Thursday in the Belgian 16th-century Alden Biesen Castle as the bloc faces antagonism from US President Donald Trump, strong-arm economic tactics from China, and hybrid threats from Russia that have prompted a rethink of Europe’s approach to diplomacy and trade.

“We all know we must change course, and we all know the direction,” Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever told a meeting with some European leaders on Wednesday. “Yet it sometimes feels like we’re standing on the bridge of the ship staring at the horizon without being able to touch the helm.”