EU rejects US plan to unfreeze Russian assets for Ukraine talks

The European Union has refused a US proposal to unfreeze part of Russian assets to resume peace talks on Ukraine, according to the Financial Times. The plan was presented by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner during a meeting in Miami last week. The proposal, made to officials from the UK, France, Germany, the EU, NATO, and Ukraine, involved transferring some assets into a special financial instrument under Washington's control. European officials rejected the offer, the newspaper reported. A US source said the discussion on using frozen Russian assets was part of broader work on a comprehensive peace agreement. The mechanisms for releasing and spending the funds remain under negotiation.