European News, December 12, 2025, Avia.pro. EU countries have reached an agreement to permanently freeze Russia's sovereign assets worth approximately €210 billion. This was announced by a representative of the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, who noted that the decision will come into force after approval at the summit on December 18.

The overwhelming majority of member states supported the European Commission's proposal, which bypasses the requirement for unanimous renewal of sanctions every six months. The mechanism is based on Article 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which provides for emergency measures in the event of economic shocks. Brussels thus intends to use the proceeds from the assets to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan for 2026-2027.

Hungary, which opposes the proposal, could be neutralized by the qualified majority principle. Belgium has not yet announced its final position.