Poland says that decision on funding for Ukraine "will determine the course of war"

Dec 3, 2025 - 17:04

Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said that the European Union's decision on stable sources of funding for Ukraine over the coming years can decide the future of Russia's war against Ukraine.

Source: Radosław Sikorski speaking on the sidelines of a NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels on 3 December 2025, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Sikorski believes that a decision to provide Ukraine with financial assistance in 2026-2027 could determine the course of the war, as it may push Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin towards agreeing to a peace deal.

"I agree with Belgium on the principle, namely that the risk of taking a decision on frozen Russian assets must be shared and that Belgium needs a backstop mechanism. But the devil is in the details," Sikorski said when asked about reparations loans for Ukraine.

Sikorski said that he has not yet had an opportunity to examine the legal text on providing Ukraine with reparations loans that has been presented by the European Commission.

Quote: "It [the legal text on Russian assets – ed.] must be robust. If it is, I hope Belgium will change its mind, because this is the decisive card that we, as Europe, can put on the table in support of Ukraine.

The course of the war may depend on this decision."

More details: Sikorski said that the EU needs to convince the Belgian prime minister that ongoing peace talks do not make a decision on Russian assets less necessary, but more so.

Quote: "Only when Putin sees that Ukraine has financial support for two or three years will he reconsider his terms, scale back his ambitions and become more inclined to conclude a peace agreement."

Background:

Sikorski also said that Poland's contribution to the NATO countries' PURL initiative to purchase US weapons for Ukraine will amount to US$100 million.
On the same day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced two proposals on funding Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, one of which would use proceeds from frozen Russian assets in the EU to provide Ukraine with a reparations loan.
Even before the new proposal from the European Commission was made public, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said it was absolutely unacceptable.
Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide announced that the government will provide a further US$500 million for the PURL programme, which funds US-made weapons for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.