European Union officials wanted to use Russia’s frozen assets to back a major loan to Ukraine. Facing opposition in their own camp, they settled on another way.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters in Moscow that the European and Ukrainian changes would not improve the chances of peace. "This is not a forecast," Ushakov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies, though he said he had not seen the exact proposals on paper yet.

Unveiling her plan on Dec. 4, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would cover two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs for 2026 and 2027, for a total of 90 billion euros ($105 billion). International partners would fill the gap.

The European Union came up with an 11th-hour deal to help Ukraine, but the solution raised questions about the bloc’s decisiveness.

Alas, Europe closed the year with a half-fumble. At an EU summit on December 18th the bloc’s 27 national leaders could not agree on the reparations loan they had been discussing for weeks. After talks that lasted into the small hours of December 19th,

A White House envoy said Sunday he held “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. Posting on social media,

European leaders said they had agreed on Monday any decisions on potential Ukrainian territorial concessions to Russia could only be made once robust security guarantees were in place which should include a European-led multinational force.

The European Union is on the precipice of a momentous decision on whether to use frozen Russian assets to finance more support for Ukraine. Critics argue the plan is legally questionable and risks retaliation by Moscow.

European leaders are expected to cement support for Ukraine as it faces Washington’s pressure to swiftly accept a U.S.-brokered peace deal

French President Emmanuel Macron said Europe will have to find the way to directly engage with the Russian leader as the US pushes ahead with peace talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declares Russia's Ukraine war goals will be achieved through negotiations or military force as diplomatic efforts.

Pope Leo XIV is insisting that Europe must have a role in any Ukraine peace deal. And he is criticizing what he says is the Trump administration’s effort to “break apart” the long-standing U.S.