A European summit on financial aid for Ukraine began more than an hour and a half later than scheduled on Thursday morning.
The meeting of European heads of state and government was due to commence at 10 a.m. However, it was only around 11:35 am that Chair Antonio Costa officially opened the session.
Costa’s office acknowledged the “significant delay” but offered no explanation. Prior to the summit, Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held talks with European farmers’ organisations.
Behind the scenes, negotiations are underway with Belgium regarding its proposal to use frozen Russian assets held by the Euroclear securities house in Brussels for a €90 billion loan to Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also arrived in Brussels.
Before departing, he emphasised the critical importance of the loan to his country, warning of severe consequences should funding not be secured.
For Zelensky, it is vital that Russia understands Ukraine’s resilience and the support it receives from international allies.
"This sends a message to Moscow that Ukraine will not crumble due to a lack of financing – whether for weapons, civilian support, or other needs," he stated.
