{"id":5060,"date":"2025-12-19T07:20:48","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T07:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=5060"},"modified":"2025-12-19T07:20:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T07:20:48","slug":"ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-says-eu-agreement-to-loan-e90bn-to-kyiv-truly-strengthens-our-resilience-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=5060","title":{"rendered":"Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says EU agreement to loan \u20ac90bn to Kyiv \u2018truly strengthens our resilience\u2019 | Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"liveblog-body\"><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><gu-island name=\"KeyEventsCarousel\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;keyEvents&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;6944d2d68f087ccaa844ed13&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ukraine\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Ukraine&lt;\/a&gt; war.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;d4d16628-bf3b-48d3-95eb-0b95e2d5e076&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Volodymyr Zelenskyy&lt;\/strong&gt; has said he is grateful to European Union leaders after they agreed on a plan to &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-deal-latest-europe-leaders-loan-zelenskyy\\&quot;&gt;provide Ukraine a \u20ac90bn ($105bn) loan&lt;\/a&gt; to cover its looming budget shortfalls.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;6b824d80-8e40-44bb-bbf6-08b6121649aa&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;\u201cThis is significant support that truly strengthens our resilience,\u201d the Ukrainian president said in a &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/x.com\/ZelenskyyUa\/status\/2001889263470936154\\&quot;&gt;post on X &lt;\/a&gt;on Friday.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;5cabaeca-5c77-410c-8d76-5067e60ef0a7&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;The EU leaders\u2019 agreement came at summit talks in Brussels, however they failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to make up the loan funds.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;7067c9b9-a70c-48a1-80f9-55cda2ff5eee&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Zelenskyy said: \u201cIt is important that Russian assets remain immobilized and that Ukraine has received a financial security guarantee for the coming years. Thank you for the result and for unity. Together, we are defending the future of our continent.\u201d&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3e4ce269-775d-44b3-89e1-b5d936515145&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;The EU deal came after leaders settled on granting an interest-free loan for the next two years backed by the bloc\u2019s common budget, providing Kyiv a lifeline as &lt;strong&gt;Donald Trump&lt;\/strong&gt; pushes for a quick deal to end Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;39626774-4259-4ff5-b877-28a2883483f7&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;\u201cToday\u2019s decision will provide Ukraine with the necessary means to defend itself and to support the Ukrainian people,\u201d said European Council head &lt;strong&gt;Antonio Costa&lt;\/strong&gt;, who chaired the summit.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8bc32b67-de1a-45e7-afae-223ff2fccfc3&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Meanwhile, US and Russian representatives are set to hold fresh talks on Ukraine in Miami at the weekend as Trump urged Kyiv to move \u201cquickly\u201d on reaching a peace deal.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;73b084fd-77aa-4b37-b0a8-248fc2b421a0&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;In key developments:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8a231639-0ce8-4e92-8eb6-8363f3ca1e28&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;ul&gt;\\n &lt;li&gt;\\n  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The leading option at the EU summit had been to tap about \u20ac200bn of Russian central bank assets frozen&lt;\/strong&gt; in the EU to generate a loan for Kyiv but that fell through after Belgium \u2013 where the bulk of the assets are held \u2013 demanded guarantees on sharing liability that proved too much for other countries. Belgian prime minister &lt;strong&gt;Bart De Wever&lt;\/strong&gt; said as the summit wrapped up that he believed \u201crationality has prevailed\u201d.&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;\/li&gt;\\n &lt;li&gt;\\n  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;German chancellor Friedrich Merz had pushed hard for using Russia\u2019s frozen assets but still said the final decision on the EU-backed loan \u201csends a clear signal&lt;\/strong&gt;\u201d to &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/vladimir-putin\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Vladimir Putin&lt;\/a&gt;. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine would need to repay the loan only once Moscow paid for the damages it has caused.&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;\/li&gt;\\n &lt;li&gt;\\n  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hungary\u2019s prime minister, Viktor Orb\u00e1n, agreed not to block&lt;\/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;the loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years&lt;\/strong&gt; as long as his country, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were excluded from the guarantees for the debt. The deal would not affect the financial obligations of the three countries, which did not want to contribute to the financing of Ukraine, a text said on the agreement said.&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;\/li&gt;\\n &lt;li&gt;\\n  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Zelenskyy had urged EU leaders at the start of the summit &lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;strong&gt; to use the frozen Russian assets&lt;\/strong&gt;, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s moral, it\u2019s fair, it\u2019s legal.\u201d The EU estimates Ukraine needs an extra \u20ac135bn to stay afloat over the next two years.&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;\/li&gt;\\n &lt;li&gt;\\n  &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In Washington, Donald Trump urged Ukraine to move swiftly on a peace deal ahead of fresh talks expected in Miami&lt;\/strong&gt;. The US president told reporters in the Oval Office: \u201cWell, they\u2019re getting close to something, but I hope Ukraine moves quickly. I hope Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there. And you know, every time they take too much time, then Russia changes their mind.\u201d Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to meet Russian officials in Florida this weekend, a White House official said, after the envoys held talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Berlin last Sunday and Monday.&lt;br&gt;&lt;em&gt;With agencies&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;&lt;\/li&gt;\\n&lt;\/ul&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;0cf3e8ca-f7c5-4425-81c9-8beeb79c7721&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1766126887000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.48\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1766126698000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.44\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1766126887000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.48\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;06.48&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Opening summary&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Fri 19 Dec 2025 07.19 GMT&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Fri 19 Dec 2025 06.48 GMT&quot;}],&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;key-events-carousel-mobile&quot;,&quot;renderingTarget&quot;:&quot;Web&quot;,&quot;serverTime&quot;:1766128848595}\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\"\/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/gu-island><gu-island name=\"FilterKeyEventsToggle\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;filter-toggle-mobile&quot;}\"><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-alru3r\"><label id=\"src-component-58533_description\" data-component=\"filter-key-events\" data-link-name=\"filter-key-events-on\" class=\"dcr-rrspei\"><button id=\"src-component-58533\" role=\"switch\" aria-checked=\"false\" aria-labelledby=\"src-component-58533_description\" class=\"dcr-dh5oqp\"\/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/label><\/div>\n<p><\/gu-island><\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"block-6944fb288f086a70a358b0b7\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Hungarian prime minister <strong>Viktor Orb\u00e1n<\/strong> agreed not to block the huge <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-deal-latest-europe-leaders-loan-zelenskyy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">EU-backed <\/a>loan to Ukraine as long as his country, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were excluded from the guarantees for the debt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The deal will not affect the financial obligations of those three countries, which did not want to contribute to the financing of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ukraine\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Ukraine<\/a>, a text on the EU agreement said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Moscow-friendly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/hungary\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Hungary<\/a> had previously said it would oppose the deal, just as it opposed the use of frozen Russian assets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The deal followed hours of discussions among leaders on the technical details of a loan based on frozen Russian assets, which turned out to be too complex or politically demanding to sort out at this stage, diplomats said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe have gone from saving Ukraine to saving face, at least that of those who have been pushing for the use of the frozen assets,\u201d one said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">You can read more on the deal as well as other developments in the Ukraine war \u2013 including Russian strikes near the Black Sea port of Odesa \u2013 in our daily briefing here:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"530fd8fa-460b-4787-b6dc-4a8ac07bd6f6\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:6,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Ukraine war briefing: Hungary agrees to allow EU loan to Kyiv but will not contribute&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;530fd8fa-460b-4787-b6dc-4a8ac07bd6f6&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-war-briefing-hungary-agrees-to-allow-eu-loan-to-kyiv-but-will-not-contribute&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;world\/live\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-european-union-agreement-90bn-loan-deal-kyiv&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-6944fb288f086a70a358b0b7&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-6944fb288f086a70a358b0b7&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says EU agreement to loan \u20ac90bn to Kyiv \u2018truly strengthens our resilience\u2019&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says EU agreement to loan \u20ac90bn to Kyiv \u2018truly strengthens our resilience\u2019&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-european-union-agreement-90bn-loan-deal-kyiv?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6944fb288f086a70a358b0b7#block-6944fb288f086a70a358b0b7\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-6944f68f8f087ccaa844ee19\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The EU agreement to provide Kyiv with an \u20ac90bn interest-free loan will cover most of Ukraine\u2019s urgent financial needs but be secured against EU borrowing rather than frozen Russian assets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/jennifer-rankin\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Jennifer <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-deal-latest-europe-leaders-loan-zelenskyy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Rankin reports<\/a> from Brussels, after the summit talks ended in the early hours of Friday, the European Council president, <strong>Ant\u00f3nio Costa<\/strong>, told reporters: \u201cWe committed and we delivered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He said EU leaders had approved a decision to make the \u20ac90bn (\u00a392bn\/$105bn) loan to Ukraine for the next two years backed by the EU budget, which Kyiv would repay only once <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/russia\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Russia<\/a> paid reparations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Costa added: \u201cThe union reserves its right to make use of the immobilised assets to repay this loan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">EU leaders entered the summit on Thursday with many wanting to secure the urgently needed loan against some of Russia\u2019s \u20ac210bn frozen assets on the continent. But the plan fell over on the demand of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/belgium\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Belgium<\/a>, which hosts 88% of the Russian funds in the EU, to have unlimited budget guarantees from other member states if Moscow won a successful claim for damages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Belgium\u2019s prime minister, <strong>Bart De Wever<\/strong>, said the reparations loan had not been a good idea, saying it had a lot of loose ends. \u201cAnd if you start pulling at the loose ends in the strings, the thing collapses.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">You can read the full report here:<\/p>\n<figure id=\"54c243ed-7277-4a9b-9b5d-ca49118aa818\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:7,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Ukraine deal: EU leaders agree \u20ac90bn loan, but without use of frozen Russian assets&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;54c243ed-7277-4a9b-9b5d-ca49118aa818&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-deal-latest-europe-leaders-loan-zelenskyy&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;world\/live\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-european-union-agreement-90bn-loan-deal-kyiv&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-6944f68f8f087ccaa844ee19&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-6944f68f8f087ccaa844ee19&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says EU agreement to loan \u20ac90bn to Kyiv \u2018truly strengthens our resilience\u2019&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says EU agreement to loan \u20ac90bn to Kyiv \u2018truly strengthens our resilience\u2019&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-european-union-agreement-90bn-loan-deal-kyiv?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6944f68f8f087ccaa844ee19#block-6944f68f8f087ccaa844ee19\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2025-12-19T07:12:45.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Friday, 19 December 2025 at 07:12 Greenwich Mean Time\">07.12 GMT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-6944d2d68f087ccaa844ed13\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Opening summary<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/ukraine\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Ukraine<\/a> war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/strong> has said he is grateful to European Union leaders after they agreed on a plan to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-deal-latest-europe-leaders-loan-zelenskyy\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">provide Ukraine a \u20ac90bn ($105bn) loan<\/a> to cover its looming budget shortfalls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis is significant support that truly strengthens our resilience,\u201d the Ukrainian president said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ZelenskyyUa\/status\/2001889263470936154\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">post on X <\/a>on Friday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The EU leaders\u2019 agreement came at summit talks in Brussels, however they failed to agree on using frozen Russian assets to make up the loan funds.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Zelenskyy said: \u201cIt is important that Russian assets remain immobilized and that Ukraine has received a financial security guarantee for the coming years. Thank you for the result and for unity. Together, we are defending the future of our continent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The EU deal came after leaders settled on granting an interest-free loan for the next two years backed by the bloc\u2019s common budget, providing Kyiv a lifeline as <strong>Donald Trump<\/strong> pushes for a quick deal to end Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cToday\u2019s decision will provide Ukraine with the necessary means to defend itself and to support the Ukrainian people,\u201d said European Council head <strong>Antonio Costa<\/strong>, who chaired the summit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Meanwhile, US and Russian representatives are set to hold fresh talks on Ukraine in Miami at the weekend as Trump urged Kyiv to move \u201cquickly\u201d on reaching a peace deal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In key developments:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>The leading option at the EU summit had been to tap about \u20ac200bn of Russian central bank assets frozen<\/strong> in the EU to generate a loan for Kyiv but that fell through after Belgium \u2013 where the bulk of the assets are held \u2013 demanded guarantees on sharing liability that proved too much for other countries. Belgian prime minister <strong>Bart De Wever<\/strong> said as the summit wrapped up that he believed \u201crationality has prevailed\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>German chancellor Friedrich Merz had pushed hard for using Russia\u2019s frozen assets but still said the final decision on the EU-backed loan \u201csends a clear signal<\/strong>\u201d to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/vladimir-putin\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Vladimir Putin<\/a>. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Ukraine would need to repay the loan only once Moscow paid for the damages it has caused.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Hungary\u2019s prime minister, Viktor Orb\u00e1n, agreed not to block<\/strong> <strong>the loan to Ukraine to meet its military and economic needs for the next two years<\/strong> as long as his country, Slovakia and the Czech Republic were excluded from the guarantees for the debt. The deal would not affect the financial obligations of the three countries, which did not want to contribute to the financing of Ukraine, a text said on the agreement said.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Zelenskyy had urged EU leaders at the start of the summit <\/strong><strong> to use the frozen Russian assets<\/strong>, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s moral, it\u2019s fair, it\u2019s legal.\u201d The EU estimates Ukraine needs an extra \u20ac135bn to stay afloat over the next two years.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>In Washington, Donald Trump urged Ukraine to move swiftly on a peace deal ahead of fresh talks expected in Miami<\/strong>. The US president told reporters in the Oval Office: \u201cWell, they\u2019re getting close to something, but I hope Ukraine moves quickly. I hope Ukraine moves quickly because Russia is there. And you know, every time they take too much time, then Russia changes their mind.\u201d Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner plan to meet Russian officials in Florida this weekend, a White House official said, after the envoys held talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Berlin last Sunday and Monday.<br \/><em>With agencies<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;world\/live\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-european-union-agreement-90bn-loan-deal-kyiv&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-6944d2d68f087ccaa844ed13&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-6944d2d68f087ccaa844ed13&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says EU agreement to loan \u20ac90bn to Kyiv \u2018truly strengthens our resilience\u2019&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Ukraine war live: Zelenskyy says EU agreement to loan \u20ac90bn to Kyiv \u2018truly strengthens our resilience\u2019&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/live\/2025\/dec\/19\/ukraine-war-live-zelenskyy-european-union-agreement-90bn-loan-deal-kyiv?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6944d2d68f087ccaa844ed13#block-6944d2d68f087ccaa844ed13\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p>#Ukraine #war #live #Zelenskyy #agreement #loan #90bn #Kyiv #strengthens #resilience #Ukraine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key events Show key events onl&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5060"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5060\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}