EU Finance Leaders Gather to Debate Unlocking €140bn in Immobilized Russian Funds for Ukraine Support
European Union finance ministers are meeting in the EU capital this Thursday to address the union's financial agenda, featuring the pressing issue of financial support to the Ukrainian government.
Zelenskyy Warns Nation's Survival Relies on Partners
Kyiv's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in a recent interview that the country's survival depended on receiving more funds from allies.
“We trust, with luck, we will get the necessary funding,” he stated to reporters. If not, “It will be necessary to seek an alternative, it concerns our surviving. That’s why we need it urgently. We rely on our allies.”
European Authorities Advocates €140bn Reparations Loan
The EU executive still hopes to convince participating countries – and Belgium, which is currently blocking the plan amid legal fears – to move ahead on a €140 billion reparations loan based on Moscow's immobilized funds.
Commission president Ursula von der Leyen emphasized this morning that it would be “the optimal method to sustain Kyiv's military and national finances.”
Resolution Postponed Until December Meeting
A final decision on the issue has been deferred until the European Council meeting in December, with the funding required early next year.
Discussions Coincide with Bribery Allegations in Ukraine
But these discussions are happening during a difficult moment for Ukraine, as the president had to move to address rising popular anger in Ukraine over a bribery incident in the power industry, dismissing several officials allegedly involved in involvement in a large-scale corruption network.
Denmark's economic affairs minister Stephanie Lose was questioned on her response to the scandal, and affirmed that there was commitment to continue supporting the Ukrainian people.
“Of course, Ukraine will have to persistently focus with reforms, reinforcing every sector of the nation [and] that also applies to anti-corruption … but it is clear that there’s a strong European support with Ukraine,” she said.
Additional European Developments Under Watch
Separately, analysts will be monitoring the Netherlands where the legislature meets to examine potential ways ahead in the government formation process, the Italy-Albania consultations in Rome offering the most recent opportunity to witness the remarkable leadership interplay, and a series of high-level meetings throughout the continent, including the Alliance's Mark Rutte’s visit to a German airbase.
Much to report on.
It’s Thursday, November 13, 2025, and we bring you Europe Live.
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