MEP says EU should use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine
S&D MEP Tobias Cremer said frozen Russian assets could help plug a Ukrainian funding gap Kyiv fears could reach $78bn in 2027.
A member of the European Parliament has called on the European Union to look at using frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine, arguing that letting Ukraine lose the war would cost Europe more than continuing to support it. Tobias Cremer, an MEP from the Socialists and Democrats group, said the assets could be used as leverage for peace.
Continuing the war should mean Russia should "start paying for it," Cremer said. He also said Russian attacks on Europe were no longer merely hybrid, pointing to what he called "proper attacks" on European cities, including Leipzig in Germany.
Ukraine could face a financing shortfall of $78bn in 2027, Ukrainian outlet NV reported. Kyiv has urged the EU to use roughly €210bn in frozen Russian assets to help cover the gap, Euronews Albania reported.
NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkevich, separately called on European governments to publicly attribute Russian hybrid attacks to Moscow, telling a European Parliament committee that doing so would raise the cost of such actions for the Kremlin, Reuters reported. He pointed to a drone attack in Leipzig and a Russian strike on a train near Ukraine's border with Poland as recent examples.
Grynkevich said Russia's campaign was aimed at undermining Western unity and willingness to keep arming Ukraine. He said NATO's Eastern Sentry mission, launched on 11 September with forces from Denmark, France, Britain and Germany, had made Russian drones more cautious about crossing into Baltic or Polish airspace.
Czech President Petr Pavel separately called for a more decisive NATO response to repeated Russian violations of allied airspace, saying member states should be ready to shoot down intruding aircraft and drones.
What we know
- MEP Tobias Cremer, from the Socialists and Democrats group, said the EU should consider using frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine.
- Ukraine could face a $78bn financing gap in 2027, Ukrainian outlet NV reported, with Kyiv urging the EU to use about €210bn in frozen Russian assets.
- NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkevich, called for public attribution of Russian hybrid attacks, citing a Leipzig drone attack and a strike on a train near Ukraine's Polish border, Reuters reported.
- NATO's Eastern Sentry mission, launched 11 September with Danish, French, British and German forces, has made Russian drones more cautious near the Baltic states and Poland, Grynkevich said.
- Czech President Petr Pavel called for a more decisive NATO response to repeated airspace violations, including shooting down intruding aircraft and drones.
Why it matters for Europe
The proposals add to a wider debate in Brussels over how to fund Ukraine as its government points to a growing shortfall for 2027. EU capitals have argued for months over whether frozen Russian central bank assets, most of them held in Belgium, can be used or unlocked as loans without full legal backing from every member state.
Grynkevich's call for public attribution and Pavel's comments follow a string of incidents this year that allied governments have blamed on Russian intelligence services, including sabotage, arson and drone incursions into NATO airspace over the Baltic states and Poland.
Sources
Reported by 7 reports from 7 independent outlets in 5 countries.
- Euronews: MEP urges EU to ‘think creatively’ and use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine
- 24 Kanal: Головнокомандувач НАТО закликав засудити російські диверсії та посилити допомогу Україні
- 24 Chasa: Марк Рюте: НАТО ще увеличи подкрепата за Украйна
- Euronews Albania: Rutte bën thirrje për qetësi përballë sabotimeve ruse: Po dështojnë të minojnë mbështetjen për Ukrainën
- Expresso: NATO pede reforço do apoio à Ucrânia perante alegados atos de sabotagem russos
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Questions and answers
- What did MEP Tobias Cremer propose for funding Ukraine?
- Cremer said the EU should look at using frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine, arguing that the cost of Ukraine losing the war would be higher for Europe than continued support.
- How large is Ukraine's projected funding gap?
- Ukraine could face a financing shortfall of $78bn in 2027, Ukrainian outlet NV reported, as Kyiv pressed the EU to use about €210bn in frozen Russian assets.
- What did NATO's Grynkevich say about Russian hybrid attacks?
- General Alexus Grynkevich called on European governments to publicly attribute Russian hybrid attacks to Moscow, saying this would raise the cost of such actions for the Kremlin.
This article was written with AI assistance from 8 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.