Ukraine says EU allies increasingly open to using frozen Russian assets
A senior Ukrainian official says European partners are showing more willingness to restart talks on tapping frozen Russian central-bank assets to help fund Kyiv’s budget shortfall.
Ukraine’s government is confronting a budget deficit exceeding $32 billion for one outlet year and a similar shortfall projected for 2027, prompting a request for €27 billion in defence funding for 2026. A senior Ukrainian official reported that several EU members - the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden - are pushing to reopen discussions on the €210 billion of Russian central-bank assets frozen in the bloc since the war began.
Kyiv argues the funds should be released now rather than held as a bargaining chip, while some allies remain hesitant. Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko said Ukraine is negotiating legal adjustments that could allow part of the assets to be used, emphasizing that responsibility for any legal disputes would shift from Belgium to all 27 EU states. The assets are primarily held at the Euroclear depository in Brussels, and Belgium has so far maintained its opposition due to potential litigation risks. Ukraine is also in talks with the International Monetary Fund about its upcoming budget plans.
Why it matters
Access to frozen Russian assets could significantly narrow Ukraine's budget gap and bolster its defence amid the ongoing war.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTCentrist coverage frames the story as a diplomatic push by several EU members to reopen debate on using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, highlighting both support and Belgian resistance, while right-leaning coverage emphasizes Ukraine’s large budget shortfall and portrays allies’ growing willingness to tap the assets as a financial necessity, stressing legal adjustments and shared liability.
CENTER
Centrist coverage presents the issue as a multi-country diplomatic effort to revive EU discussion on deploying frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, noting both supportive states and Belgium’s legal-risk concerns.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage portrays the story as Ukraine’s urgent budget crisis driving EU members to consider using frozen Russian assets, highlighting the scale of the deficit, the need for defence funding, and negotiations to shift legal responsibility.
The right emphasises
- Ukraine’s budget deficit exceeding $32 billion
- request for €27 billion defence funding for 2026
- legal adjustments shifting liability from Belgium to all EU states
How this story developed
- Aug 30 Germany prepares coordinated response to suspected drone strike on Ukrainian cargo plane
- Sep 2 EU announced additional sanctions targeting another 1,600 entities and discussed stricter visa rules for Russian tourists.
- Sep 2 The International Civil Aviation Organization issued a safety appeal to its members regarding passenger flights over Russia.
- Sep 3 Norwegian authorities seized the Russian vessel Professor Molchanov in Svalbard after Russia failed to pay a $4.22 billion award to Ukraine’s Naftogaz for seized Crimean assets.
- Sep 3 A Nord‑Troms district court order issued on August 31 authorized the ship’s detention.
- Sep 3 Zelensky announced that U.S. envoys are scheduled to visit Kyiv in the coming days, with meetings also planned in Moscow.
- Sep 3 Police discovered an unexploded incendiary device at a Brandenburg substation.
- Sep 3 Zelensky announced an upcoming trip to Canada.
- Sep 4 Police uncovered a suspicious object near Ganderkesee and homemade devices at a Dormagen substation.
- Sep 4 Poland’s foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in response to the Leipzig drone incident.
- Sep 4 The envoys are set to leave Friday for Moscow and then travel to Kyiv later in the week.
- Sep 4 The last US‑mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in February, shortly before the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran.
- Sep 5 Police seized a suspect’s motorhome in Niederzier as part of the investigation into recent sabotage attempts.
- Sep 5 Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Moscow for peace talks.
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