European Union Approves Support for Ukraine with 90 Billion Euros

European Council President Antonio Costa said on Friday that approval was given to provide support worth 90 billion euros to Ukraine for the period between 2026 and 2027.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had said that EU leaders agreed at a summit in Brussels on Thursday to work on financing Ukraine in 2026 and 2027 by using frozen Russian assets instead of resorting to joint borrowing from member states.

Tusk added to reporters, "We are definitely seeking a breakthrough, which means everyone agrees that it is worth trying and that using Russian assets for Ukraine's benefit would be justified and good for Europe. But some countries will continue to push until the end to ensure the greatest possible guarantees for their interests."

Of the total frozen Russian assets in the European Union following the launch of the Russian military operation in Ukraine in 2022, amounting to 210 billion euros, 185 billion euros are held in the Central Securities Depository of Euroclear in Belgium. Therefore, Belgium fears being targeted by retaliatory actions from Russia if it agrees to release those funds under the EU plan.

According to a U.S. official, a Kremlin envoy will travel to the U.S. state of Florida to discuss a plan proposed by the United States to end the war in Ukraine, as part of reciprocal diplomacy amid the Trump administration's push for a potential agreement.

Russian Sovereign Wealth Fund head Kirill Dmitriev is scheduled to meet with Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner in Miami on Saturday, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity as the meeting has not yet been publicly disclosed.

The official indicated that Witkoff and Kushner will meet with Dmitriev after holding meetings recently in Berlin with Ukrainian and European officials, during which they discussed U.S. security guarantees for Kyiv, territorial concessions, and other aspects of the U.S.-crafted plan aimed at ending the war.

In response to a question about the meeting in Miami, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow is preparing to hold contacts with the United States to review the results of the meetings in Berlin but did not provide further details.

Trump launched an intensive diplomatic push to end nearly four years of fighting, but Washington's efforts have faced sharply conflicting demands from Moscow and Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Moscow would seek to expand its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin's demands in peace talks.

In response to a question about his statements last week, which were interpreted as abandoning Ukraine's bid to join NATO, and whether he was willing to amend the Ukrainian constitution to remove the reference to joining the alliance, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, "He sees no reason to do so."

Zelensky clarified, "My words cannot be interpreted otherwise; our position has not changed."

He added that while the United States does not currently see Ukraine in NATO, "politicians change."

Zelensky mentioned that Ukrainian officials are expected to conduct negotiations in the United States on Friday or Saturday.