Key events
Zelenskyy urges Netherlands to back EU reparations loan, use of frozen Russian assets
He says the talks are “not only about a ceasefire, but about security guarantees” to make sure that Russia cannot attack Ukraine again in a few years’ time.
He says “criminals don’t change in a day,” and so the peace process requires strong, international guarantees for Ukraine, so there is “true accountability” for any violation of the settlement.
He then talks about his recent visit to Kupiansk, which Russia had claimed to control weeks ago. He says he will keep exposing “every single Russian falsehood” and propaganda.
He then turns to the ongoing discussion on reparations loan and the use of frozen Russsian assets, a decision on which EU leaders need to make later this week.
He says that “these Russian assets can and must be fully, fully used to defend against Russia’s own aggression.” “The aggressor must pay.”
Zelenskyy has the Russian governing elites have disregard to people’s lives, but “they do count every dollar and every euro they lose,” which is “why a strong decision on Russian money is needed, and these funds must work to defend against Russia.”
“And I urge you to support this,” he says.
‘We must make Russia accept there are rules in world,’ Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy now criticises Russia’s territorial demands or suggestions it could limit Ukraine’s ability to join international alliances.
He particularly calls out its demands for Ukraine to “give up parts of our land they haven’t even managed to conquer,” or demands “that Ukraine accepts limits on our right to join alliance and our sovereignty.”
He says Russia is a repeated offender.
He says:
“It’s not enough to force Russia into a deal. It’s not enough to make it stop killing.
We must make Russia accept that there are rules in the world and that it cannot deceive everyone. This is the path to lasting peace.”
‘Most intense and focused negotiations’ since war started, Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy is now speaking.
He says we are “in the midst of the most intense and focused negotiations for peace since the beginning of this war.”
He says “we are not talking about a pause or a temporary, uncertain solution; we are working closely with partners to finally end this Russian war against Ukraine.”
But he says Ukraine still needs “the same strong political support” it’s had since the beginning of the war.
He picks up on Russian commentary saying the negotiations need to address “the root causes of the war, as it there is something inevitable that forces Russia to keep fighting.”
“They always blame others and always try to explain their wars through someone else’s actions, as if the reason for the aggression is never, never in Moscow, but always in their neighbours,” he says.
He says that Russia repeatedly chooses conflict over peace – from Chechnya to the Balkans, from Moldova to Syria, from central Africa to Ukraine.
“And Russians always say that they somehow are not guilty,” he says, and others are “expected to make concessions so that Russia might stop the bloodshed.”
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy about to speak in Dutch parliament
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is about to speak in the Dutch parliament, hours before the International Claims Commission for Ukraine gets set up in the Hague.
House speaker Thom van Campen and Senate speaker Mei Li Vos welcome him to the chamber.
It will be the fourth time he addresses the parliament, but his words this morning will be watched particularly closely after last night’s Berlin talks.
Russia yet to see details of proposals, Kremlin says
We are now getting first lines from the Kremlin, saying that Russia has yet to see the details of proposals on security guarantees, and stressing that Moscow would not want a ceasefire “which will only provide a pause for Ukraine to better prepare for the continuation of the war,” Reuters reported.
I will bring you more as soon as we have it.
New European body to assess claims for reparations on Ukraine to be set up
Top European officials meet on Tuesday to set up an international body to decide on tens of billions of euros of eventual reparations to compensate Ukraine over Russia’s invasion, AFP reported.
The International Claims Commission for Ukraine will assess and decide on claims for reparations, including any amount to be paid out.
The body was expected to be agreed at a high-level summit Tuesday in The Hague attended by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
The commission’s establishment follows the setting up of a so-called “Register of Damages”, which has already received more than 80,000 claims for reparations from individuals or organisations.
The reparations mechanism is being coordinated via the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, the 46-nation group protecting human rights on the continent, AFP noted.
Morning opening: What are you saying, Russia?
Jakub Krupa
After positive comments from European, Ukrainian and US leaders taking part in Berlin talks, the focus now shifts to Russia as we wait for Moscow’s first reaction to some of the proposals for ending the war in Ukraine discussed last night.
Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said this morning that Moscow had no understanding of the discussions just yet, as it awaits a debrief from the US negotiators. He also ruled out any territorial concessions by Russia.
Given the notably very positive tone of the US comments – from both the US officials involved and the US president, Donald Trump – about “tremendous support” from Europe, the Europeans will be feeling that the pressure is now on Moscow to, even reluctantly and begrudgingly, take a step closer towards the proposed plan.
But, crucially, they will be thinking that even if Moscow says niet, as it has so many times before, it will be hard for the US to blame Europe and Ukraine for that, which could be crucial in tense and delicate relations with Washington.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues his Europe tour ahead of this week’s crucial European Council meeting on the use of frozen Russian assets. He will be in the Netherlands today, addressing the Dutch parliament, and meeting with the country’s prime minister, Dick Schoof, among others.
Other EU leaders will also be busy. Finland’s prime minister, Petteri Orpo, hosts the first Eastern Flank Summit in Helsinki, bringing together leaders from the Nordics, the Baltics, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania.
I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day.
It’s Tuesday, 16 December 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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