In May, the European Union adopted a series of sanctions amendments that made it more difficult for Russian oligarchs and businessmen to avoid restrictions, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

The Russian and Ukrainian positions are far apart, and absent US sticks and carrots, there seems little prospect they will come together.

Ukraine will ask the EU next week to consider big new steps to isolate Moscow, including seizing Russian assets and bringing in sanctions for some buyers of Russian oil, as U.S. President Donald Trump has backed off from tightening sanctions.

At this critical moment, the European Union should seize the immobilized Russian sovereign assets that sit in Europe and use those resources to provide Ukraine with a sustainable source of assistance.

As peace talks ramp up, experts and officials are already working on a looming post-war threat: the potential large-scale proliferation of guns in Ukraine once they are no longer needed on the battlefield.

Kyiv’s European allies have slapped new sanctions on Moscow, a day after a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to produce a breakthrough on ending the 3-year-old war in Ukraine.

The portion of Ukraine’s foreign reserves held in euros has surged as the European Union ratchets up support for the war-torn nation.

The EU is launching a mechanism to develop a joint defense industry. Ukraine has been granted official partner status, which opens up new opportunities to take part in supply chains and procurement, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.