Ukraine's European allies said frozen Russian assets should be used quickly to fund support for Kiev, one of several measures discussed at talks in London on Friday to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted the “Coalition of the Willing” talks in London with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other leaders, where initiatives such as removing Russian oil and gas from the global market and equipping kyiv with more long-range missiles were discussed.
NATO chief Mark Rutte said US President Donald Trump was still considering sending Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the European Union should follow British and US sanctions on Russian oil companies.
Starmer said on Friday that there was “absolute clarity” during the meeting that progress on using frozen Russian assets to fund a support loan for Ukraine must be made quickly.
On Thursday, European Union leaders failed to approve a plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance a massive loan to kyiv, citing concerns raised by Belgium, where hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian reserves are held.
Zelensky had asked EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday for long-range missiles and the use of frozen assets to obtain more weapons.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said a solution must be found on how to use the Russian assets before Christmas.
“We need to work to find a solution before Christmas Eve and thus guarantee Ukraine’s financing for the coming years,” she told reporters. “I’m confident we can achieve this.”
Starmer welcomed the latest EU sanctions package against Russia, but said the meeting made it absolutely clear that progress on using frozen assets needed to be"concrete within a short timeframe."
Russia warned of a painful response
Zelensky welcomed Trump's decision this week to impose sanctions on Russia's two largest oil companies, a dramatic reversal of course following last week's announcement of plans for a summit with Putin.
However, Trump has stated that he is not yet ready to provide Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles. Rutte claimed to have discussed the issue with Trump.
“In particular, regarding the Tomahawks, the president and I have of course discussed it. The president is still analyzing the matter, and I repeat, the United States must decide ,” Rutte said.
Moscow has promised a"painful response" if the assets are seized. Putin also stated that US sanctions on oil companies were a hostile act but would not significantly affect the Russian economy.
Zelensky began his latest visit to Britain by meeting with King Charles at Windsor Castle. The king has frequently expressed his support for Ukraine, notably hosting Zelensky at his private residence shortly after the Ukrainian leader held a tense meeting with Trump in February.
