European Agreement on Using Frozen Russian Assets to Arm Ukraine

The 27 EU member states reached a "preliminary" agreement to use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets within the EU to arm Ukraine, as announced by the Belgian presidency of the bloc. The presidency stated on the platform "X" following a meeting of ambassadors from member states: "These funds will be used to support military defense and the reconstruction of Ukraine." European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the decision, considering it a "symbol of great power." The Kremlin had warned the European Union against using the proceeds from frozen Russian assets to arm Ukraine, affirming that "these decisions (regarding the assets) will have severe consequences for those who made them."