EU Agrees to €90 Billion Ukraine Loan After Russian Asset Plan Stalls

European Union leaders have reached an agreement to provide Ukraine with a 90 billion euro loan to support the country's military and economic requirements for the next two years. The loan will be interest-free. This decision comes after discussions to use frozen Russian assets to generate funds for Ukraine hit an impasse due to disagreements, primarily with Belgium.

The International Monetary Fund estimates that Ukraine will need 137 billion euros between 2026 and 2027, after almost four years of war. The Ukrainian government urgently needs financial assistance by the spring to avoid potential bankruptcy.

An initial proposal involved using a portion of the 210 billion euros in Russian assets currently frozen in Europe, a significant portion of which is held in Belgium. EU leaders spent considerable time trying to assure Belgium against possible Russian retaliation if they supported the plan. Ultimately, the leaders chose to borrow the funds on capital markets as talks stalled.

EU Council President António Costa announced the agreement on social media, stating, "We have a deal. Decision to provide 90 billion euros of support to Ukraine for 2026-27 approved. We committed, we delivered."

While most countries supported the loan package, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic voiced their opposition but agreed not to block the deal. These nations were assured protection against potential financial repercussions.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressed his concerns, stating, "I would not like a European Union in war," and "To give money means war." Orbán also dismissed the rejected plan to utilize frozen Russian assets as a "dead end."

French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the agreement as a significant step forward, describing borrowing on capital markets as "the most realistic and practical way" to finance Ukraine's war efforts. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz echoed this sentiment, stating that the financial package for Ukraine was finalized, granting Ukraine a zero-interest loan. Merz added that these funds would be sufficient to cover Ukraine's military and budgetary needs for the next two years and that the frozen assets would remain blocked until Russia pays war reparations to Ukraine, estimated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to be over 600 billion euros.

Merz further stated that if Russia fails to pay reparations, the EU would utilize the immobilized Russian assets to repay the loan, in accordance with international law. Zelenskyy had traveled to Brussels to advocate for a swift decision to ensure Ukraine's financial stability in the coming year, amid protests from farmers regarding a proposed trade deal with South American countries.

Earlier in the week, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that providing financial aid to Ukraine was a matter of "either money today or blood tomorrow."

The plan to use frozen Russian assets faltered due to Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever's concerns about potential legal risks and the impact on Euroclear, a Brussels-based financial clearing house holding 193 billion euros in frozen assets. Russia's Central Bank had filed a lawsuit against Euroclear to prevent any loan being provided to Ukraine using its frozen funds.

De Wever explained that the reparations loan was not a good idea, citing numerous unanswered questions and potential legal uncertainties. He emphasized the importance of upholding legal certainty and respecting the rule of law, even under pressure. De Wever added that the EU had sent a strong political signal of support to Ukraine.

Despite the failure to use frozen assets, Costa affirmed that the EU reserves the right to utilize the immobilized assets to repay the loan in the future.