Four EU States Urge Revival of Frozen Russian Assets Plan for Ukraine

Four European Union member states have formally urged the European Commission to restart discussions on using frozen Russian assets to help fund Ukraine's defense, as Kyiv faces a significant budget shortfall. Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland sent a letter on August 27, 2026, addressed to the EU's top foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, and Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee. The letter calls for a new look at how to leverage the approximately 244.5 billion in immobilized Russian central bank assets to address a 26.8 billion gap in Ukraine's defense funding for 2026.