🔗 Share this article EU Finance Ministers Convene to Debate Accessing €140bn in Immobilized Russian Assets for Ukraine Support European Union finance ministers are gathering in the EU capital this Thursday to address the union's financial priorities, including the increasingly urgent question of funding for the Ukrainian government. Zelenskyy Warns Country's Existence Relies on Partners Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in a recent discussion that Ukraine's existence relied on obtaining additional financial aid from allies. “I hope, with luck, they will approve the necessary funding,” he stated to reporters. Otherwise, “We will have to find another solution, it concerns our survival. For this reason we need it urgently. We rely on our allies.” EU Commission Pushes for €140bn Compensation Funding The EU executive still hopes to convince participating countries – including Belgium, that continues to bloc the proposal due to legal fears – to proceed with a €140bn reparations loan using frozen Russian assets. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen insisted this morning that this represents “the most effective way to sustain Kyiv's military and its economy.” Decision Postponed Until December Summit A final decision on the matter has been postponed until the EU leaders’s summit in the last month, with the funding needed early next year. Discussions Coincide with Bribery Allegations in Ukraine But these discussions come at a difficult moment for Kyiv, as Zelenskyy had to move to contain rising popular anger in the country regarding a bribery incident in the power industry, firing two ministers who are accused of involvement in a extensive corruption network. Danish finance leader Stephanie Lose was asked about her reaction to the allegations, and insisted that there was commitment to continue supporting the Ukrainian people. “Naturally, The country will have to persistently focus with improvements, strengthening all parts of the nation [and] that also applies to anti-corruption … but it is clear that there’s a strong European support with Kyiv,” she stated. Additional European Developments Monitored Separately, analysts will be monitoring Holland where the parliament convenes to examine possible directions in the government formation process, the Italy-Albania consultations in Rome offering the most recent opportunity to enjoy the brilliant Meloni-Rama dynamics, and a number of top-tier meetings throughout the continent, including Nato’s the secretary general's trip to a German airbase. Lots for us to report on. Today is Thursday, November 13, 2025, and we bring you European Updates. Good morning.