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EU economic leaders are meeting in the EU capital this Thursday to address the bloc's economic priorities, including the increasingly urgent question of funding for the Ukrainian government.

Zelenskyy States Nation's Existence Depends on Partners

Kyiv's leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared in a recent discussion that the country's survival relied on receiving more funds from international partners.

“I hope, with luck, they will approve the necessary funding,” he told media outlets. Otherwise, “We will have to find another solution, it’s a question of our surviving. That’s why we need it very much. And I count on partners.”

European Authorities Pushes for €140bn Reparations Loan

The EU executive continues to aim to convince participating countries – and Belgium, that is currently blocking the plan amid juridical concerns – to proceed with a €140 billion reparations loan based on Moscow's immobilized funds.

Commission president Ursula von der Leyen emphasized this morning that this represents “the most effective way to sustain Ukraine’s defence and national finances.”

Resolution Delayed Until Year-End Summit

A definitive resolution on the issue has been postponed until the EU leaders’s summit in the last month, as the financial support required at the start of the coming year.

Talks Occur Amid Corruption Scandal in Kyiv

But these discussions are happening during a difficult moment for Kyiv, as Zelenskyy was forced to contain rising popular anger in Ukraine over a bribery incident in the power industry, firing two ministers allegedly involved in involvement in a large-scale bribery scheme.

Danish finance leader Stephanie Lose was questioned on her reaction to the scandal, and affirmed that there was determination to continue supporting Ukraine.

“Naturally, The country will have to continuously work with reforms, reinforcing all parts of their society [and] including anti-corruption … but it is clear that Europe stands firmly behind Kyiv,” she stated.

Other EU Events Monitored

Separately, analysts will be monitoring the Netherlands where the parliament meets to discuss possible directions in the government formation process, Rome-Tirana discussions in the Italian capital offering the most recent opportunity to witness the remarkable Meloni-Rama dynamics, and a number of top-tier meetings across Europe, including the Alliance's Mark Rutte’s trip to a military installation in Germany.

Lots for us to report on.

It’s Thursday, November 13, 2025, and this is European Updates.

Good morning.