Zelensky thanks EU for €90bn loan - but frozen Russian assets won't fund Ukraine's defence
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked European leaders following an agreement by the European Union to loan Ukraine €90bn (£79bn; $105bn).
"We committed, we delivered," EU chief Antonio Costa wrote on X as he announced the deal to provide a loan backed by the bloc's common budget.
Zelensky had urged EU leaders to use €200bn of frozen Russian assets to fund the Ukrainian war effort, but an agreement couldn’t be reached with Belgium, which holds the vast bulk of the Russian money.
Russia's Vladimir Putin had warned EU leaders not to use its money, and Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever says "chaos and division" was avoided by loaning Ukraine the money instead of using frozen Russian assets.
The bloc's leaders say the agreement will meet Ukraine’s military and economic needs for the next two years - we'll have more on the warnings around the embattled country's depleted funds as we take in reaction to the deal.
We'll also bring you the latest on peace talks, as US and Russian officials are expected to meet in Miami this weekend, according to a report by the AFP news agency.
Stay with us right here for the latest.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ce8np3pnljdt
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