Russian Frozen Assets Loan to Ukraine Would Fund Defense Industry: EU Chief

So far, the EU has taken only interest generated from Russian assets, which were frozen after Ukraine was invaded in February 2022

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses the audience during the conference "One Year After the Draghi Report" at the EU Charlemagne building in Brussels, Belgium, on Sept. 16, 2025. Omar Havana/Getty Images

A European Union loan to Ukraine paid out of frozen Russian assets would be used to fund the bloc’s defense industry, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sept. 30.

Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Brussels, von der Leyen said that though economic sanctions on Russia were working, a more “structural solution” for military support to Kyiv was necessary.