European leaders agree to fund Ukraine for 2 years but using Russian assets poses a major test

Almost four years into Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, European Union leaders have committed to funding Kyiv’s economic and military needs for the next two years, one way or another. Ukraine is desperate and needs the money by early 2026. At a summit next week, the 27 EU leaders will weigh whether to use tens of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets held in Europe to help meet Ukraine’s requirements, which the International Monetary Fund puts at 135 billion euros ($157 billion).