Former Prime Minister of U.K., Boris Johnson: “I am afraid Putin will be quietly pleased with the results of the European Council. He has effectively intimidated the EU – and the UK – into dropping an excellent plan to fund Ukraine.
“The reparations loan would have liberated huge sums from Putin’s frozen assets in a way that was morally and legally watertight. It would have given Ukrainians the ability to defend themselves for years to come.
“As things now stand the plan for a €90bn EU loan is better than nothing – but still a distant second. Chancellor Merz of Germany and Ursula von der Leyen of the EU Commission deserve congratulations for their leadership, and their willingness to stand up to Putin.
“It is a great shame that they were ultimately thwarted by other EU countries including, shamefully, some countries who were actually invaded by Russia in the last century.
“As for the UK, where have we been? We have about £15bn of Russian assets in London and yet Starmer has said nothing. We could have led the campaign.
“We have sat on the sidelines. It is not too late for us to act.”