According to a report by Sky News on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Russia is reportedly taking active measures to influence EU leaders as they meet to discuss support for Ukraine, according to the country’s former UK ambassador.
Sir Tony Brenton told Leah Boleto that there are “quite a lot of cold feet around the table” in Brussels, as EU member states face the challenge of financing Kyiv while managing their own domestic economic pressures.
When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin and his government would simply observe the summit, Brenton was clear: “They’re not just waiting. They’re working to make it fail.”
He highlighted Russia’s threats to seize European assets held in Russia, noting the message sent to Europe: “You take our money and we’ll take yours,” which he says is exacerbating hesitation among EU officials.
Brenton also pointed to tensions over how frozen Russian assets should be used. “The US have their own views on what should happen to the assets, and are also alleged to have been lobbying in the background saying ‘Don’t do this, because we want the money as part of our peace plan’. So it’s a mess.”
Reflecting on the EU’s historical approach to complex problems, Sir Tony suggested that the bloc often addresses challenges partially, delaying full resolution. “The EU’s tradition, when faced with an impossible problem, is to deal with a little bit of it and ‘kick the can down the road’,” he said.
He predicted that the summit might result in significantly less financial support for Ukraine than originally hoped, estimating that member states could pledge around $50 billion instead of the $200 billion initially discussed.
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