Zelenskyy hailed the decision by EU leaders this week to raise €90 billion, backed by the EU budget, to bolster Kyiv’s war chest, calling the move “a major, tangible, and important victory, and not only financially.”
“The allocation of €90 billion by Europe, which in any case is linked to Russian assets, is an unprecedented decision, and it will also have an impact on the peace negotiations. Ukraine will be in a stronger position,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
“The funds are earmarked for 2026-2027, and we are counting on using all 210 billion of the Russian assets. We understand that the interest-free loans — 90 billion — will only be repaid by Ukraine if Russia pays reparations to Ukraine,” he said.
The U.S. is currently pushing a proposal that would likely require Ukraine to give up parts of its territory, a sticking point that Ukrainians are reluctant to accept.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that “there’s no peace deal unless Ukraine agrees to it,” adding that he may also take part in the potential talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“But there’s also no peace deal unless Russia agrees to it,” Rubio said. ″So our job is not to force anything on anyone. It is to try to figure out if we can nudge both sides to a common place.”
Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported Saturday that Russia has lost almost 1,200,000 troops since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
This article has been updated.