How Europe Is Trying to Turn Frozen Russian Assets Into Cash for Ukraine

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 5 min read 100% complete by Jeanna SmialekOctober 23, 2025 at 05:26 PM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

The European Union is considering a plan to use frozen Russian assets to back a 140 billion euro loan to Ukraine. The proposal, which could be finalized as early as Thursday, would involve using Russia's immobilized money to secure the loan, with Ukraine repaying only if it receives reparations from Russia. The plan aims to maintain financial support for Ukraine amid uncertain US aid and Kyiv's growing needs. European Commission officials have circulated a rough plan, but concerns from Belgium, which holds the frozen assets, may delay finalization. If agreed upon, the plan would mark a first step towards making a "reparations loan," with big potential to help Ukraine but also significant risks of Russian retaliation and damage to Europe's reputation as a safe haven for foreign assets.

Keywords

ukraine 80% frozen assets 80% european union 70% reparations loan 60% russia 60% kremlin 50% belgium 50% euroclear 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative
Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source
New York Times - World
Political Lean
Center-Left (-0.30)
Far LeftCenterFar Right
Classification Confidence
90%
Geographic Perspective
Ukraine

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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