EU leaders to discuss using profits from Russian assets to arm Ukraine

European Union leaders will discuss a plan on Thursday to use billions of euros in profits from frozen Russian financial assets to buy arms for Ukraine as they try to bolster Kyiv in its fight against Moscow’s invasion.
The bloc’s 27 national leaders will also debate how Europe can do more to defend itself and boost its arms industry, reflecting fears that Russia may not stop at Ukraine and the U.S. may not be such a staunch protector of Europe in future.
In a two-day summit in Brussels due to start at 1200 GMT on Thursday, they will also tackle topics as diverse as the war in Gaza, the prospect of opening EU membership talks with Bosnia and farmers’ protests.
But Ukraine will top the agenda, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy joining the leaders via video link.
EU leaders have voiced increasing alarm about the state of the war in recent weeks, with ammunition-starved Ukrainian forces struggling to hold back Russian troops and a $60 billion military aid package for Kyiv stuck in the U.S. Congress.