BRUSSELS (AP) — EU leaders are gathering in Brussels on Thursday for a summit to give the green light to new sanctions against Russia and to advance plans to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war efforts and economy for the next two years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will participate in the one-day summit in Brussels as he and his European backers push for a ceasefire to stop the nearly four-year battle.
"As support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia remain the two essential prerequisites for achieving a just and lasting peace," reads an invitation by EU Council President Antonio Costa, who will preside over the meeting.
The summit comes after US President Donald Trump said his plan to meet with Vladimir Putin has been shelved because he didn't want to waste time. It was another twist in Trump's efforts to end the war.
Leaders are eager for any progress on Trump's Gaza peace plan and are discussing ways to get the EU involved in the talks.
The EU is the world's biggest provider of aid to Palestinians, but it has little leverage over Israel — partly because European countries are divided on how to resolve the conflict — and it has struggled to play a significant role.
Its role in the war in Ukraine is clearer, and the summit comes after Russian forces shelled Ukraine's power grid in the war-torn country as the weather starts to cool.
Earlier this week, the strongest European backers of Ukraine, who make up the “readiness coalition,” said they oppose any attempt by Ukraine to give up land captured by Russian forces in exchange for peace, as Trump recently suggested.
The UK will host a meeting of more than 30 countries in the coalition on Friday.
From the EU side, leaders are set to advance plans to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine's war effort, despite some concerns about the consequences of such a move.
The largest share of frozen assets — worth $225 billion — is in Belgium, and the Belgian government is hesitant to take any risks without clear guarantees from its European partners.
Ukraine’s budget and military needs for 2026 and 2027 are estimated at around $153 billion.
Leaders are also expected to sign a new “map” for European defense to protect against a Russian attack by the end of the decade. Senior officials believe Russia could target another European country within 3-5 years.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
