The sensitive meeting of the European Union about the use of Russian frozen assets for Ukraine

According to RCO News Agency, the talks in Brussels focused on reassuring Belgium – which owns the majority of these frozen assets – and several other concerned countries, so that Europe will jointly accept the legal and financial risks of this project and gain their support.

According to Reuters, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged other EU leaders to agree to the proposal: “Now we have a simple choice: money today, or blood tomorrow.”

The European Union considers Russia’s war a threat to its security and wants to continue financing Ukraine and help the country’s resistance.

The European Commission has proposed using the frozen assets of the Russian central bank – mostly held in Belgium’s Euroclear – to guarantee a large loan to Kyiv.

But Belgium is deeply concerned about being exposed to legal and financial risks, and other countries, including Italy, have expressed similar concerns.

Several EU leaders arrived at the meeting saying it was vital to find a solution. They were also keen to show the strength and resolve of European countries after US President Donald Trump called them “weak” last week.

“We really can’t afford to fail,” said EU foreign policy chief Kaya Callas.

He added that the leaders will stay in the meeting as long as necessary to reach a solution.

Tusk also said the leaders had agreed to work only on the loan option and not the other options, but stressed that they still had hours of technical and complex talks ahead.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was present at the meeting, asked the European Union to come to an agreement that, according to him, would allow Ukraine to continue the war.

“The decision that’s on the table now — the decision to fully use Russian assets to defend against Russian aggression — is one of the clearest and most morally sound decisions that can be made,” he said.

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