politics

LIVE, War in Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky Arrives in Brussels for European Summit on the Use of Frozen Russian Assets

December 18, 2025 Le Monde
LIVE, War in Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky Arrives in Brussels for European Summit on the Use of Frozen Russian Assets

The US Senate approves a 901 billion dollar defense budget including support for Ukraine.

SUMMARY

The US Senate has approved an increased defense budget of 901 billion dollars, incorporating military support for Ukraine. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelensky is attending a European summit on the use of frozen Russian assets.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • The US defense budget is raised to 901 billion dollars.
  • The bill includes military and financial support for Ukraine.
  • Volodymyr Zelensky is in Brussels for a European summit on frozen Russian assets.

CORE SUBJECT

US defense budget and support for Ukraine

The US Senate approved on Wednesday a bill to raise the defense budget to 901 billion dollars (767 billion euros), an increase of 5 billion compared to the previous year, which includes support for Ukraine.

This bill of more than 3,000 pages also contains provisions to strengthen national security and modernize the US armed forces. The support for Ukraine consists of military and financial aid intended to assist the country in the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Brussels to participate in a European summit focused on the use of frozen Russian assets, a measure aimed at weakening the Russian economy and financing the reconstruction of Ukraine.

KEYWORDS

US Senate defense budget Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky frozen Russian assets Brussels military support

MENTIONED ENTITIES 5

US Senate

🏛️ Organization

Upper chamber of the United States Congress

Volodymyr Zelensky

👤 Person_Male

President of Ukraine

Brussels

📍 Location_City

Capital of Belgium and seat of European institutions

Ukraine

📍 Location_Country

Eastern European country in conflict with Russia

Russia

📍 Location_Country

Country engaged in conflict with Ukraine

KEY DECISIONS 1

Approval by the US Senate of a 901 billion dollar defense budget including support for Ukraine.

Decision Maker: US Senate
Status: approved
Announced: 2025-12-17
Impact Areas:
defense national security international aid