Read our Privacy noticeA deal to release up to £100bn of frozen Russian assets in Europe to aid Ukraine is just days away, Downing Street believes, after Sir Keir Starmer and allies held crunch talks in London yesterday. The prime minister said talks about the future of Ukraine have reached a “critical stage”, while European leaders agreed that pressure on Vladimir Putin must be ramped up. The Times reported that the value of the assets will be up to £100bn, including around £8bn held in UK bank accounts. A No 10 readout of the private talks between the leaders said they “discussed the importance of the US-led peace talks for European security and supported the progress made”. Before the meeting began, Mr Zelensky had said that the issues under discussion were “very important for unity between Europe and Ukraine, and also unity between Europe and Ukraine and the United States”.

Source: The Times December 09, 2025 13:15 UTC