Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The European Commission on Wednesday proposed using $163.2 billion of Russia's frozen assets as a loan to help Ukraine defend itself against its neighbor, a plan Belgian leaders opposed.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the reparations loan would give Ukrainians "the means to defend themselves."
"And take forward peace talks from a position of strength," she said.
"We are putting forward solutions to support Ukraine's budget and strengthen its defense industry."
Von der Leyen said a $104.9 billion loan would cover most of Ukraine's needs for the next two years, with the rest of the funding coming from "international partners," The Guardian reported.
