Europe transfers $4.9 billion to Ukraine as Brussels reconstruction talks continue

The European Commission transferred 4.4 billion euros, equivalent to $4.9 billion, to Ukraine on Thursday. This payment is part of a 90 billion euro loan facility that European Union leaders approved in April. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated the funds will cover essential spending on defense and public services. She noted that Ukraine is entering its fifth winter of war while peace efforts continue.

In Brussels, Ukraine's lead negotiator Rustem Umerov reported that discussions are in their second day at NATO headquarters. The talks focus on postwar reconstruction, 2027 funding, and security guarantees. Participants include officials from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, the European Union, and NATO. The World Bank and the U.S. investment group BlackRock are also present at the meetings.

Umerov posted online that the group discussed threats from Russia to Ukraine and Europe. He said they also outlined joint steps to counter those threats. The Brussels session occurs days before negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the United States are scheduled to meet in Abu Dhabi. That upcoming meeting aims to end the war.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a 90-minute call with U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Wednesday. He said on social media that negotiations must move forward to end the war quickly. Zelenskyy added that Ukraine has presented clear proposals to the American side.

In a separate interview with the German broadcaster ZDF, Zelenskyy expressed hope that the recent U.S. midterm elections would change support for Ukraine. He said the country has support from both major political parties. He specifically mentioned gratitude toward Republicans and noted that Democrats speak of renewing ties between the United States and Europe.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna told The Associated Press that the midterm results could shift the atmosphere in Washington. He suggested that the understanding of Russia as an aggressive country may become more prevalent on Capitol Hill. However, Tsakhna noted that President Trump can still dictate foreign and security policy. He said Ukraine's situation will depend partly on the president's actions, which may be freer now that he is not running for reelection.

Combat continued during the Brussels talks. Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 496 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions overnight. The ministry also reported interceptions over the Crimean Peninsula and the Black and Azov Seas. Ukraine launched hundreds of drones at Russian targets during the same period.

Russian drones struck six areas in the Dnipropetrovsk region, wounding three people in the city of Dnipro. Regional administrator Oleksandr Hanzha provided that count. A separate Russian attack on logistics infrastructure west of Kyiv caused a fire and wounded one man, according to the State Emergency Service. Ukrainian air defenses shot down or suppressed 105 of 128 Russian attack drones overnight and into early Thursday.

A Ukrainian attack on a bus killed five people and wounded 13 others in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region on Thursday. Leonid Pasechnik, the region's Moscow-backed leader, provided the casualty figures. Rescue teams in the Zaporizhzhia region continued searching for more than 30 people believed trapped under the rubble of a former school and shelter. Russian guided bombs hit those buildings on Monday. Zelenskyy confirmed 43 deaths from that strike and said one person previously missing had been found alive.