Trump's Ambassador to NATO says EU should take an "aggressive" stance on Russia and move forward with frozen assets plan
Kyiv • UNN
US President's envoy to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, calls on European allies to take a more aggressive stance on Moscow and use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. This move would provide support to Ukraine for years and signal a new, bolder phase in European politics.
The envoy of US President Donald Trump to NATO said that European allies should take a "more aggressive" stance towards Moscow and move forward with plans to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
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US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker said that this step would be a "significant step" in supporting Ukraine's dwindling funding for "several years" economically and militarily.
"But I think it would also signal a new step — a more aggressive Europe," Whitaker said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Berlin.
"Now is the time for them to act bolder," he said.
The European Union is trying to agree on a plan to use frozen assets to provide credit financing for Ukraine. Belgium, a member state where most of the assets are held in the Euroclear clearing company, has expressed objections due to the prospect of prosecution by Russia and the application of punitive measures against it.
Europe has been forced to take the lead in supporting Ukraine after Trump's return to the White House. As the publication writes, "the US president has virtually stopped financial and military support for this war-torn country." EU countries and Canada have moved to purchase American weapons for delivery to the battlefield in Ukraine in addition to their ongoing support.
"However, financing Ukraine for the next two years has become a major topic of discussion among European allies. The preferred option in the EU involves entering new legal territory, although officials say the plan does not involve seizing Russian central bank assets, the publication writes.
Other options include member states providing grants of at least 90 billion euros ($104 billion) for 2026-2027 or taking on joint EU debt to provide a loan.