EU leaders urged to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s defence

A firefighter works at the scene of an apartment building hit by a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Photograph: Reuters

European leaders are being urged to decide whether to use Russia’s frozen assets to fund Ukraine’s defence at a time of unprecedented pressure from the US.

At a critical summit in Brussels on Thursday, EU leaders will be asked to make good on a promise to find urgently needed cash for Ukraine, with Kyiv under pressure to cede territory as Russia ekes out advances on the battlefield.