European and Ukrainian leaders issued a joint statement on 21 October 2025 calling for an immediate halt to fighting and proposing that the current line of contact serve as the starting point for negotiations. Published by the UK Prime Minister’s Office and updated on 25 October to add signatories, the text also reaffirms that international borders cannot be changed by force.
The statement aligns with President Trump’s call for an immediate stop to hostilities and frames ceasefire talks around today’s contact line while stressing that Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position before, during and after any pause in fighting. It does not set out verification, monitoring or security‑guarantee arrangements, leaving those details to forthcoming discussions.
Pressure on Russia is being stepped up in parallel. On 23 October, the European Union adopted a 19th sanctions package introducing a phased ban on Russian liquefied natural gas, tighter restrictions on financial services and crypto providers, and a further clampdown on the shadow tanker fleet.
Two days earlier, the Council also agreed its position on rules to phase out Russian gas under the REPowerEU roadmap, signalling a continued shift away from Russian energy as a security priority pending negotiations with the European Parliament on final legislation.
Asset policy sits at the centre of the leaders’ message. They say they are developing measures to use the “full value” of Russia’s immobilised sovereign assets to resource Ukraine. To date, EU support has relied on windfall profits rather than the principal: in 2025, EU institutions report €20.5 billion provided to Ukraine’s budget, including €14 billion under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loans funded by asset proceeds, and €6.5 billion via the Ukraine Facility.
EU leaders met on 23–24 October in Brussels and invited the European Commission to present options to cover Ukraine’s financing needs for 2026–2027, with the European Council to return to the issue at its next meeting. The Council also highlighted work to adjust mandates for EU missions that train and advise Ukraine’s forces.
A separate “Coalition of the Willing” session in London on 24 October, co‑chaired by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron, gathered around 40 participants and focused on air defence, energy resilience, sanctions and longer‑range capabilities. Starmer urged counterparts to finalise a coordinated approach to using frozen assets.
For compliance teams, the 19th package carries immediate operational consequences. LNG buyers must plan for the phase‑out timetable set in the measures. Insurers, classification societies and port authorities face expanded obligations covering designated vessels and shadow‑fleet operators. Banks and crypto platforms must implement wider prohibitions and new listings, including actions against third‑country facilitators.
Whether allies move from windfall profits to the asset principal remains unsettled. The European Commission has floated a “reparations loan” structure that would frontload financing now and be repaid once Russia pays reparations, while Belgium-host to the largest asset pool-has pressed for stronger legal guarantees and risk‑sharing. EU leaders asked the Commission to bring options and said they would revisit the question at their next session.
In the interim, funding channels continue. The Commission disbursed a further €1 billion on 20 March as part of the ERA‑linked macro‑financial assistance, and member states are advancing training and equipment programmes under revised EU advisory and military assistance mandates signalled in Council conclusions.
The UK‑published statement has been updated as additional leaders sign on, with entries logged on 22 and 25 October. The common line is to strengthen Ukraine for any talks while increasing economic pressure on Russia until it engages seriously on peace.