Photograph: Christophe Ena/Pool/AFP via GettyUkraine’s need for more financial backing from its allies has become “urgent” and the European Union cannot afford to hesitate in helping Kyiv shore up its position on the battlefield, Ursula von der Leyen has said. In a letter to the leaders of the EU’s 27 states, Ms von der Leyen said a decision would need to be taken before the end of the year about how to fill a looming shortfall in Ukraine’s wartime budget. A big injection of finance was urgently required to strengthen Ukraine’s position “on the battlefield and at the negotiating table”, Ms von der Leyen said. Ms von der Leyen said the loan would be designed to comply with international law, meaning the EU would not technically be confiscating the Russian state cash. The commission president’s letter said financial markets could be spooked if the loan “was incorrectly perceived by others as a confiscation”.
