EU solidarity in action means using Russia’s frozen assets to defend Ukraine

Europe has the chance to match Ukraine’s courage with decisive action – by turning €300bn in frozen Russian assets into real support for Ukraine.

The EU’s proposed Reparations Loan, which could mobilise €140bn for Ukraine, marks a breakthrough.

But to meet the scale of Russia’s destruction, it must be expanded and structured to reinforce Ukraine’s resilience.

Europe must turn its solidarity into resources and justice, using the aggressor’s own assets to secure Ukraine’s victory, strengthen its democracy, and protect European security.

Belgium and other EU members still blocking this decision should act responsibly and unblock it now. In Ukraine’s fight for survival, every day of delay costs human lives.

Ukraine’s commitment to democracy comes from its citizens.

The nationwide protests this summer, the first since 2022, erupted when authorities tried to weaken anti-corruption institutions.

Even under Russian intensified attacks, Ukrainians proved that they are fighting not only against the genocidal invader, but for the freedom, rule of law, and democracy that unite us with Europe.

This commitment is now under strain. In July 2025, attempts to limit the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) were stopped only after a strong public response and firm EU engagement.

Yet pressure on NABU detectives, reformers, and activists, and institutional resistance to change persist.

Ukraine’s civil society knows well that reform is not a one-time achievement — it is a daily struggle.

And wartime centralisation, while necessary for defence, poses risks to checks and balances and political pluralism.

If Ukraine is to win not only the war but also the democratic peace, it must preserve the independent institutions its citizens have defended since 2014.

Europe’s responsibility

Ukraine’s EU accession process remains the most effective framework for anchoring democracy and the rule of law. Yet it is being stalled by political vetoes.

The Reparations Loan can offer a path to restore momentum here — and become an instrument to support Ukraine’s defence, economic resilience, and democratic transformation at once.

A major share of the loan should unconditionally go directly to Ukraine’s defence, as it also serves to defend Europe itself against the Russian threat. It should include: direct procurement of weapons for Ukraine; grants and loans to Ukrainian defence companies to increase production capacity; funding for joint arms manufacturing between Ukrainian and European partners.

Ukraine’s government, in the meantime, should improve transparency in defence procurement — with civilian oversight, efficiency, and accountability to boost the defence industry and maintain trust at home and abroad.

Tie support to effective reform

Another share of the Reparations Loan should provide macrofinancial support to Ukraine’s budget, linked to clear and concise good governance reforms.

This will also ensure greater transparency of the aid spent.

Ukraine’s reform history proves that precise EU conditionalities work: when Brussels set clear benchmarks, Ukraine created NABU, SAPO, and the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC). When conditions were vague or unenforced — as with Constitutional Court reform — progress stalled.

A group of 60+ NGOs argue that this budget support should be conditioned on independence and protection of the anti-corruption ecosystem (NABU, SAPO, and HACC), ensuring the decisive role of independent international experts in key judicial selections and vetting and effective renewal of the Supreme Court.

It also includes the launch of the comprehensive reform of law enforcement institutions — to strengthen their resilience to political influence and prevent their use against Ukraine’s democratic transformation (the State Bureau of Investigation, Prosecutor General’s Office, Security Service, and National Police) and the protection of civil society, journalists, reformers, and whistle-blowers.

Europe’s moral test

Three in four Ukrainians support stronger EU engagement on reforms — viewing it as a partnership, not interference.

Europe knows that Ukraine’s EU path needs real transformation, as seen in the fresh Enlargement Report. But it must now show that partnership means action.

The Reparations Loan is not just about money. It is a test of Europe’s political will and moral coherence. For the first time since World War II, Europe can come close to holding an aggressor accountable by transforming its assets into tools of justice.

Ukraine’s fight is Europe’s fight — for truth, justice, and a rules-based democratic future. And Ukraine’s victory is the victory of democracy and joint European security over tyranny.

Turning frozen Russian assets into freedom is the only way forward — for Ukraine and for Europe.

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