![\"Jakub](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Jakub_Krupa.png\")
Jakub Krupa<\/p>\nMorning opening: Crunch timeJakub Krupa<\/p>\n
Key Ukraine-US talks are set to continue in Berlin today after five hours of negotiations on Sunday, with a group of European leaders later joining the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/a>, to show their solidarity with Kyiv.<\/p>\n Once the talks with the US are concluded, the mini-summit will bring together Britain\u2019s Keir Starmer, Denmark\u2019s Mette Frederiksen, Finland\u2019s Alexander Stubb, Norway\u2019s Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re, the Netherlands\u2019s Dick Schoof, Poland\u2019s Donald Tusk, Sweden\u2019s Ulf Kristersson, as well as top EU and Nato officials.<\/p>\n Europe\u2019s Trump whisperer and his occasional golf partner, Finland\u2019s Stubb, told journalists on Sunday that \u201cwe\u2019re probably closer to a peace agreement than we have been at any time during these four years.\u201d<\/p>\n US envoy Steve Witkoff also said that \u201ca lot of progress was made\u201d during the Sunday talks.<\/p>\n But some key questions still remain and are believed to do with Ukrainian territorial concessions in the contested east, and crucial security guarantees to avoid a third aggression from Russia. Moscow has been publicly dismissive of any calls put forward by Ukraine\u2019s European partners so far.<\/p>\n Map of Ukraine<\/a><\/p>\n Today\u2019s talks with the US and the mini-summit in Berlin \u2013 set to be attended by seven European leaders, and top figures in the EU and Nato \u2013 come just days before the key European Council summit in Brussels later this weekend, which will decide on the proposal of using frozen Russian funds to fund Ukraine through a reparations loan.<\/p>\n Over the weekend, new Czech prime minister Andrej Babi\u0161 has joined the growing group of countries critical of the proposal, led by Belgium and supported by Italy. \u201cWe will not take guarantees for anything nor put any money in,\u201d he said on Saturday.<\/p>\n It looks like a decisive week for the EU and its ability to influence the end of the Ukraine war \u2013 first with Germany working together with Ukraine to put the European arguments to the US, and then by a show of European unity in support of Kyiv, and second with the much-anticipated decision on the reparations loan.<\/p>\n Whether they will succeed in making progress on either of the two things remains to be seen.<\/p>\n But US president Donald Trump, who only last week branded EU leaders as weak and indecisive, will be certainly looking at their actions to see if they want to challenge his thinking about them.<\/p>\n I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day.<\/p>\n It\u2019s Monday, 15 December 2025, it\u2019s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.<\/p>\n Good morning.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n Moving ahead with EU plan to fund Ukraine using frozen Russian assets ‘won’t be very easy,’ EU foreign policy chief says amid Belgium’s opposition in Brussels<\/p>\n The EU\u2019s foreign policy chief has said it would not be easy to move forward with the Russian frozen assets plan to finance Ukraine<\/a> without the say-so of Belgium, which holds most of the Kremlin\u2019s money.<\/p>\n European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas rings a bell to signify the start of a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels. Photograph: Virginia Mayo\/AP<\/p>\n Kaja Kallas came close to suggesting Belgium had an effective veto over the decision on whether to use \u20ac210bn Russian frozen assets to finance Ukraine<\/a>. The decision, to be taken by EU leaders on Thursday, requires only a weighted majority of EU countries: 55% of EU member states representing 65% of the population.<\/p>\n Days after Donald Trump denounced European leaders as \u201cweak\u201d<\/a>, the EU faces a make-or-break week, with the decision on funding Kyiv a crucial test of its resolve on Ukraine.<\/p>\n But Kallas suggested EU backers of the frozen assets plan would be reluctant to outvote Belgium, which holds \u20ac185bn of the assets at the Euroclear central securities depository in Brussels.<\/p>\n Russia’s frozen assets <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOf course, we have the QMV decision, but without Belgium, I think it would be increasingly\u2026 it wouldn\u2019t be very easy because they have the majority of the assets. And I think it is important that they are on board whatever we do.\u201d<\/p>\n Belgium, backed by Bulgaria, Italy and Malta, has urged the rest of the EU to look seriously at an alternative finance plan for Ukraine: joint EU borrowing secured against unallocated funds in the EU budget.<\/p>\n Unlike the reparations loan idea, common borrowing requires unanimity and Hungary has already indicated it would not agree.<\/p>\n Kallas said other funding options were \u201cnot really flying\u201d. She recalled her experience as Estonian\u2019s prime minister when she floated the idea of common borrowing for Ukraine: \u201cIt was two years ago when I proposed the Eurobonds, it didn\u2019t fly because you need everybody on board.\u201d<\/p>\n She was speaking ahead of a meeting on Monday of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, who are expected to sign off further tightening of sanctions against Russia<\/a>. Kallas said 40 vessels and \u201cenablers\u201d would be added to the EU\u2019s shadow fleet sanctions list, which aims to choke off trade in Russian oil traded above an international price cap, carried by ageing tankers with murky ownership structures.<\/p>\n Being listed means vessels cannot obtain insurance or access to ports in the EU. By 23 October the EU had listed 557 vessels, but officials admit the fleet is constantly being renewed.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, EU\u2019s foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s cross to Jennifer Rankin, who is keeping an eye on their discussions.<\/p>\n Belgium’s foreign minister Maxime Prevot, second left, speaks with from left, Latvia’s foreign minister Baiba Braze, Slovenia’s foreign minister Tanja Fajon, Romania’s foreign minister Oana-Silvia Toiu, European Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Hadja Lahbib and Spain’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares Bueno during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels. Photograph: Virginia Mayo\/APShare<\/a>‘Great deal of work under way,’ Zelenskyy says after morning talk with Finland’s Stubb<\/p>\n And in the last few minutes, Zelenskyy has published a short summary of his talks with Finland\u2019s influential Alexander Stubb this morning.<\/p>\n He said the pair had a \u201cgood meeting\u201d as \u201cthere is a great deal of work under way on the diplomatic track.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe also coordinated our joint positions ahead of today\u2019s meetings with partners in Berlin and agreed on the next steps,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He also thanked Finland for its support and contribution to military purchases through Nato\u2019s Prioritised Ukraine<\/a> Requirements List, or Purl.<\/p>\n During this year Stubb emerged as one of the very few European leaders that seem to have access to \u2013 and the ear of \u2013 Trump and his team, playing a critical role in Europe\u2019s efforts to influence the negotiations.<\/p>\n Finland’s president Alexander Stubb arrives for Monday\u2019s talks in Berlin, Germany. Photograph: Tobias Schwarz\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a>Ukraine still wants ‘Article 5-like’ security guarantees, Zelenskyy says<\/p>\n In his remarks to reporters after Sunday\u2019s talks, Zelenskyy said that while Ukraine<\/a> was prepared to drop its Nato aspirations, it would still require \u201cArticle 5-like\u201d security guarantees from the US and European partners.<\/p>\n Article 5 is Nato\u2019s collective defence clause which essentially says \u201cthat an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe<\/a> or North America shall be considered an attack against them all\u201d.<\/p>\n It remains to be seen if that\u2019d be accepted by the US, and if so, how they would go about convincing Moscow to accept it as part of the settlement.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Ukraine not joining Nato fundamental issue for Russia, Kremlin says<\/p>\n The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukraine<\/a> not joining Nato was a fundamental question in talks on a possible peace settlement.<\/p>\n Kremlin\u2019s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia expects an update from the US after its talks with European countries and Ukraine in Berlin.<\/p>\n Reuters noted that Russian president Vladimir Putin has repeatedly demanded Ukraine officially renounce its Nato ambitions and withdraw troops from the about 10% of Donbas which Kyiv still controls. Moscow has also said Ukraine must be a neutral country and no Nato troops can be stationed in Ukraine.<\/p>\n Over the weekend, Ukraine\u2019s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered to drop Ukraine\u2019s aspirations to join Nato, as he held first talks with US envoys in Berlin on Sunday.<\/p>\n The move marks a big shift for Ukraine, which has fought to join Nato as a safeguard against Russian attacks and has such an aspiration included in its constitution. It also meets one of Russia\u2019s war aims, although Kyiv has so far held firm against ceding territory to Moscow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Morning opening: Crunch time Key Ukraine-US talks are set to continue in Berlin today after five hours of negotiations on Sunday, with a group of European leaders later joining the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/a>, to show their solidarity with Kyiv.<\/p>\n Foreign and security policy adviser Guenter Sautter, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine\u2019s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, facing the US delegation, among them US President Donald Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner (back row C) and US special envoy Steve Witkoff (back row 2ndR) at the start of their meeting in a conference room in the Chancellery in Berlin yesterday. Photograph: Guido Bergmann\/Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Once the talks with the US are concluded, the mini-summit will bring together Britain\u2019s Keir Starmer, Denmark\u2019s Mette Frederiksen, Finland\u2019s Alexander Stubb, Norway\u2019s Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re, the Netherlands\u2019s Dick Schoof, Poland\u2019s Donald Tusk, Sweden\u2019s Ulf Kristersson, as well as top EU and Nato officials.<\/p>\n Europe\u2019s Trump whisperer and his occasional golf partner, Finland\u2019s Stubb, told journalists on Sunday that \u201cwe\u2019re probably closer to a peace agreement than we have been at any time during these four years.\u201d<\/p>\n US envoy Steve Witkoff also said that \u201ca lot of progress was made\u201d during the Sunday talks.<\/p>\n But some key questions still remain and are believed to do with Ukrainian territorial concessions in the contested east, and crucial security guarantees to avoid a third aggression from Russia. Moscow has been publicly dismissive of any calls put forward by Ukraine\u2019s European partners so far.<\/p>\n![\"Foreign](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5808.jpg\")
Foreign and security policy adviser Guenter Sautter, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine\u2019s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, facing the US delegation, among them US President Donald Trump\u2019s son-in-law Jared Kushner (back row C) and US special envoy Steve Witkoff (back row 2ndR) at the start of their meeting in a conference room in the Chancellery in Berlin yesterday. Photograph: Guido Bergmann\/Presse- und Informationsamt der Bundesregierung\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Jennifer](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Jennifer_Rankin,_L.png\")
Jennifer Rankin<\/p>\nJakub Krupa<\/p>\n