EU finance ministers are meeting in the EU capital this Thursday to address the union's financial priorities, including the pressing question of funding for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy States Country's Existence Relies on Partners
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in a latest interview that Ukraine's existence relied on receiving additional financial aid from international partners.
“I hope, God bless, they will approve the necessary funding,” he told media outlets. Otherwise, “We will have to find an alternative, it concerns our surviving. That’s why we need it urgently. We rely on our allies.”
EU Commission Pushes for €140bn Reparations Loan
The European Commission still hopes to persuade participating countries – including Belgium, which continues to bloc the proposal due to legal fears – to move ahead on a €140 billion financial compensation using Moscow's immobilized funds.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen emphasized today that it would be “the optimal method to support Ukraine’s defence and national finances.”
Resolution Postponed Until December Meeting
A definitive resolution on the matter has been deferred till the EU leaders’s summit in December, with the funding required early next year.
Discussions Occur Amid Corruption Scandal in Kyiv
But the talks are happening during a difficult time for Ukraine, as Zelenskyy was forced to contain rising popular anger in the country regarding a corruption scandal in the energy sector, firing several officials allegedly involved in participating in a large-scale bribery scheme.
Danish economic affairs minister Stephanie Lose was asked about her response to the scandal, and insisted that there was commitment to continue supporting Ukraine.
“Naturally, The country will have to persistently focus with improvements, strengthening every sector of their society [and] including anti-corruption … but it is clear that Europe stands firmly behind Kyiv,” she said.
Additional EU Events Monitored
In other news, observers will be keeping an eye on the Netherlands where the legislature meets to discuss possible directions in the government formation process, Rome-Tirana discussions in Rome offering the most recent opportunity to enjoy the remarkable leadership interplay, and a number of top-tier conferences throughout the continent, including Nato’s the secretary general's trip to a German airbase.
Lots for us to cover.
It’s November 13, 13 November 2025, and we bring you Europe Live.
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