The EU announces that it has transferred approximately 1.5 billion euros (around 17.5 billion kronor) from the yield on frozen Russian assets as support to Ukraine.
"The best way to use the Kremlin's money is to make Ukraine and the whole of Europe a safer place," says EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a statement.
The yield comes from assets in the EU worth around 200 billion euros belonging to the Russian central bank. The funds were frozen as part of the sanctions directed against Russia following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
90 percent of the money made available to Ukraine will go to a fund for purchasing weapons, according to the EU. The rest is earmarked for reconstruction.
"We are grateful that the EU is taking this important step. The money will help us strengthen our defense capabilities," writes Ukraine's Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, condemns the transfer as "illegal".
