EU leaders approved a €90bn loan for Ukraine after failing to agree on using €210bn in frozen Russian assets, with Belgium seeking legal safeguards before releasing the funds.
President Zelensky welcomed the loan as vital for Ukraine’s resilience, while Vladimir Putin accused Kyiv of refusing peace talks, insisting Russia’s conditions remain unchanged.
Putin claimed Russian forces have regained the strategic initiative and are advancing along the front lines, assertions yet to be confirmed by Ukraine.
EU Agrees €90 Billion Loan For Ukraine As Putin Accuses Kyiv Of Blocking Peace
Putin claimed there was a lack of readiness on Ukraine’s part to negotiate peace, though he acknowledged “certain signals” suggesting the possibility of dialogue.
Summary
European Union leaders have agreed to extend a €90 billion (£79bn; $105bn) loan to Ukraine, stepping in after failing to reach consensus on using frozen Russian assets to fund Kyiv’s war effort. The decision comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of “refusing to end this conflict” during his annual end-of-year address.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move, saying the support “truly strengthens our resilience,” though he reiterated calls for the EU to directly tap into Russian assets frozen across Europe, valued at around €210bn. Belgium, which holds the bulk of these funds, has refused to release them without legal guarantees protecting the country if Russia were to pursue litigation.
The agreed loan covers roughly two-thirds of the €135bn Ukraine is estimated to need to sustain its economy and military over the next two years.
Speaking in Moscow, Vladimir Putin claimed there was a lack of readiness on Ukraine’s part to negotiate peace, though he acknowledged “certain signals” suggesting the possibility of dialogue. He stressed that Russia’s conditions for ending the war remain unchanged from those outlined in June 2024.
Putin also provided battlefield updates, asserting that Russian forces had seized the strategic initiative and were advancing across the entire front line, with Ukrainian troops retreating. Ukraine has yet to respond to these claims.
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