To Europe, where it's a busy spring summit for the 28 EU leaders gathered in Brussels. Day One had a packed agenda. The big item was trade and nervous anticipation over looming steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the United States. CGTN's Mariam Zaidi was on hand in Brussels as events played out.

As the European Union summit got underway, it was less spring in their step than fear. Donald Trump's deadline for US allies to win exemption from punitive metal import tariffs was set to hit as the two-day leaders' meeting was taking place in Brussels.

Those 25 percent U.S. tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum are set to take effect Friday. Less than 24 hours in advance, the US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer announced a welcome reprieve for Europe that EU nations, along with Argentina, Australia, Brazil and South Korea would be exempt - joining Canada and Mexico. Still, EU leaders proceeded with caution.

DONALD TUSK EU COUNCIL PRESIDENT "While expecting the US decision on exempting the EU from the proposed tariffs on steel and aluminum, I had decided to move the trade discussion to later this evening. We will present the EU's approach in more detail tomorrow, following the leaders' debate."

With the issue of trade still pending, over to Thursday's other big item. UK Prime Minister Theresa May was on a mission to garner EU support. Not for Brexit. But on Russia.

THERESA MAY UK PRIME MINISTER "Russia staged a brazen and reckless attack against the United Kingdom when it attempted the murder of two people on the streets of Salisbury. I'll be raising this issue with my counterparts today because it's clear that the Russian threat does not respect borders, and indeed the incident in Salisbury was part of a pattern of Russian aggression against Europe and its near neighbors, from the western Balkans to the Middle East."

May has been pushing EU allies to squarely put the blame for the nerve gas attack on the Kremlin to ramp up pressure on Putin and his closest allies.Russia has strongly denied any part in the poisoning.

What steps the EU takes, we'll find out on Friday. It's expected that while condemning the attack on the Russian former spy in the strongest terms, EU solidarity may fall short of UK expectations.

MARIAM ZAIDI BRUSSELS "Over to day two. From Friday morning EU leaders - without the UK - will meet to formerly adopt their guidelines for negations on phase two of Brexit - the future relationship. At the last summit it took them just a few minutes to adopt rules on the transition period. But with EU Council President Donald Tusk already warning that some member states still have concerns over the Irish border issue and citizen rights - two key issues of the separation agreement - will things be so plain sailing? Find out Friday! Mariam Zaidi, CGTN Brussels."