LONDON: Europe's major stock markets rose Wednesday before a crucial EU Brexit summit and a European Central Bank interest rate decision.

Investors were nervous about the possibility of a US-EU trade war after Washington's tariffs threat, while markets are awaiting minutes from the US Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting.

In late morning deals, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index advanced 0.2 percent as investors waited to see whether EU leaders will grant another Brexit extension.

The British pound -- a key barometer of the long-runing Brexit saga -- held steady, shrugging off news that the UK economy grew by just 0.2 percent in February from a month earlier.