Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has urged the European Union to unblock more than €200 billion of frozen Russian assets, speaking after talks in Kyiv with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Saturday.
Sybiha stated that accessing the principal body of the frozen funds would serve as a major lever of pressure against Moscow. He urged European capitals to reopen discussions on using the core capital with a new level of focus.
The proposal targets the main body of sovereign Russian assets frozen in Western jurisdictions following the outbreak of conflict in 2022. Western financial institutions continue to hold the bulk of these funds under emergency sanction regimes.
Sybiha emphasized Ukraine's position that achieving true peace is possible only with active European participation at the negotiating table. He called for stronger economic restrictions to maintain momentum against Russia.
The foreign minister highlighted several critical legislative proposals, including the Graham bill in the United States and the European Union's upcoming 22nd sanctions package, which he said must be as robust as possible.
Sybiha noted that he and Wadephul paid special attention during their meeting to a dedicated package of anti-ballistic sanctions. He said these targeted restrictions are designed to weaken Russia's capacity to produce ballistic missiles as much as possible.
Previous European Union decisions on Russian funds
The latest diplomatic appeal follows an EU decision on 19 December 2025, when Belgium exercised its veto to block a proposal for a direct reparations loan backed by frozen Russian sovereign assets.
Following the Belgian veto, the European Union approved a backup plan to provide €90 billion to Ukraine through the issuance of eurobonds. The Council of the European Union endorsed the financial package as an alternative measure.
Ukraine welcomed the Council's decision at the time but stressed that it views the eurobond framework as an intermediate step. Kyiv confirmed it will continue to pursue the full implementation of a reparations loan funded by Russian assets.
Eurobonds are international debt securities issued across European capital markets to raise funds for governments or institutions. In 2024, G7 countries previously agreed to use the interest accrued on frozen Russian assets to back loans for Ukraine, leaving the principal capital untouched.
Sybiha expressed hope that European allies will provide the legal and political support needed to overcome remaining obstacles and unblock the full €200 billion for Ukraine.
