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WRAP: EU leaders meet in Brussels to discuss defence, Ukraine aid

VIDEO SHOWS: WRAP OF EDITS ON EUROPEAN UNION LEADERS MEETING IN BRUSSELS TO DISCUSS UKRAINE, DEFENCE

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT IS A WRAP AND CONTAINS NO NEW MATERIAL. ORIGINAL EDIT NUMBERS ARE INCLUDED IN SHOTLIST.

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: European Union leaders said they needed to reach an agreement on how to lend billions of euros to Ukraine as they arrived at a summit in Brussels on December 18.

The summit is being seen as a critical test of the group's strength in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump calling them weak.

The European Commission has proposed using frozen Russian central bank assets that are mostly held in a Belgian clearing house to secure a huge loan to Kyiv, but Belgium is concerned the plan is not legally watertight while other states have expressed concern. (1046-UKRAINE-CRISIS/SUMMIT-ARRIVALS)

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 18, 2025) (EUROPEAN UNION - Access all)

1. MEDIA WAITING IN HALL FOR LEADERS TO ARRIVE

2. EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT URSULA VON DER LEYEN WALKING TO SPEAK TO MEDIA

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT, URSULA VON DER LEYEN, SAYING:

"It is good that the European Council has committed itself last time that we will close the financing gap of Ukraine for the next two years. We are speaking about €137 billion euros that are necessary. So the estimate, our own estimate and the estimate of the IMF and we have committed to cover two thirds of it €90 billion euros."

4. VON DER LEYEN SPEAKING TO MEDIA

5. POLISH PRIME MINISTER DONALD TUSK ARRIVING

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLISH PRIME MINISTER, DONALD TUSK, SAYING:

"Either money today or blood tomorrow. And I am not talking about Ukraine on there. I am talking about Europe. And this is our decision to make. And only ours. I think all European leaders have to finally rise to the occasion."

7. HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN ARRIVING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER, VIKTOR ORBAN, SAYING:

"Guarantees for what? The whole idea is a stupid one to take away the money of somebody. There are two countries which are in war, yes. It is not European Union. It is Russia and Ukraine and somebody, the European Union would like to take away the money of one of the various parties and then to give it to another one. It's marching into the war. So the Belgian Prime Minister is right. We should not do that."

9. ORBAN WALKING AWAY

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, SAYING:

"Now, the proposals that we have been working on, also addressing Belgium's concerns, I think to go for the legislative proposal means that we all take the risk because it's a European proposal. So the risk and the burden is shared equally. So I think the issues that Belgium has raised, we have also addressed. So I hope that we get this over the finishing line."

11. KALLAS SPEAKING TO MEDIA

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on December 18 that there was a way forward to come to an agreement on the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's needs. (1042-UKRAINE-CRISIS/SUMMIT-ARRIVALS-MERZ)

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 18, 2025) (EUROPEAN UNION – Access all)

12. GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ WALKING TO SPEAK TO PRESS

13. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, FRIEDRICH MERZ, SAYING:

"You know my position, I would like us to use the frozen Russian assets for this purpose. I don't see any better option than this one. My impression is that we can reach a conclusion. I understand the concerns that some member states have, especially the Belgian Government but I hope that we can resolve them together and that we can also embark on a joint path to show Russia the European Union's strength and determination. And how necessary that is is also shown by the Russian president's reactions in recent hours."

14. MERZ SPEAKING TO PRESS

The EU sees Russia's war as a threat to its own security and wants to keep Ukraine financed and fighting. EU leaders arriving at the summit said it was imperative they find a solution. (0887-UKRAINE-CRISIS/SUMMIT-ROUNDTABLE)

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 18, 2025) (EUROPEAN UNION – Access all)

15. BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, BART DE WEVER, GREETING LUXEMBOURG PRIME MINISTER, LUC FRIEDEN

16. DE WEVER GREETING IRISH PRIME MINISTER, MICHEAL MARTIN, ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER, KRISTEN MICHAL, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, AND LATVIAN PRIME MINISTER, EVIKA SILINA

17. MEETING ROOM

18. PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL ANTONIO COSTA AND FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, GREETING EACH OTHER

19. DANISH PRIME MINISTER, METTE FREDERIKSEN AND KALLAS TALKING

20. MACRON TALKING TO SPANISH PRIME MINISTER, PEDRO SANCHEZ

To move forward, EU leaders needed to convince Belgium, which holds the majority of the frozen assets, that it will not be left alone with the financial risks if Russia wins lawsuits in international courts. Talks at the summit focused on narrowing down the guarantees Belgium seeks, with leaders determined to find a solution to support Ukraine. (1088-UKRAINE-CRISIS/SUMMIT-ROUNDTABLE-UPDATE)

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 18, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

21. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, AND COSTA SITTING IN MEETING ROOM

Speaking at a news conference in Brussels, the Ukrainian president said that if Kyiv did not receive a first tranche of a loan secured by Russian assets by next spring, it would have to significantly cut drone production.

Zelenskiy told journalists not receiving the first tranche in spring would mean that Ukraine would have far fewer drones than Russia. (1143-UKRAINE-CRISIS/SUMMIT-ZELENSKIY-PRESSER)

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 18, 2025) (BELGIAN PARLIAMENT – Access all)

22. ZELENSKIY WALKING TOWARDS PODIUM

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian/English) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, SAYING:

"If this tranche does not arrive, Ukraine's drone production will be reduced significantly. For comparison, if today we, in terms of cheap drones that we use on the battlefield, have an approximately (English) competitive number of such drones (back to Ukrainian) with Russia, then (without aid) it will be much lower."

24. ZELENSKIY AT PODIUM

25. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKIY, SAYING:

"We are in the war, and the United States, you know, they are decision makers who can really stop (Russian president Vladimir) Putin. And I count on this. But I really count on pressure from the United States, and now, United States more mediating, it's true. It's true, they're mediating between us. But I really wanted very much them more steps pressuring Russia, because I think that Putin doesn't want to stop this war. But he can if United States will pressure more."

26. ZELENSKIY WALKING OFF STAGE

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever told his country's parliament early on December 18 that he had not yet seen guarantees that answered his concerns on legal and liquidity risks and that there is no free money.

Russia's central bank has said the EU plans to use its assets are illegal and reserved the right to use all available means to protect its interests. It filed a lawsuit in Moscow this week seeking $230 billion in damages from clearing house Euroclear. (0883-UKRAINE-CRISIS/EU-RUSSIA-BELGIUM)

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 18, 2025) (BELGIAN PARLIAMENT – Access all)

27. BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, BART DE WEVER, SPEAKING IN PARLIAMENT

28. (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, BART DE WEVER, SAYING:

"The first condition is liquidity. First, we need common, legally binding, and strictly enforceable guarantees. These guarantees must come from all member states and remain in force as long as legal proceedings are ongoing."

29. BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, BART DE WEVER, SPEAKING IN PARLIAMENT

30. (SOUNDBITE) (French) BELGIAN PRIME MINISTER, BART DE WEVER, SAYING:

"The second condition for legal proceedings is full risk-sharing, including with regard to the potential exposure of the Belgian state under the currently in-force Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with Russia."

Kostiantynivka sits about 50 km (31 miles) northeast of Pokrovsk, which Russia declared fully captured last week. Ukraine has denied this, saying it controls the northern part of the city.

Capturing Kostiantynivka would give Moscow a platform to drive north towards the two biggest remaining Ukrainian-controlled cities in Donetsk - Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. (1037-UKRAINE-CRISIS/KOSTIANTYNIVKA)

KOSTIANTYNIVKA, UKRAINE (DECEMBER 17, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

31. DESTROYED BUILDINGS / SOUNDS OF EXPLOSIONS

32. MILITARY VEHICLE DRIVING PAST DESTROYED BUILDINGS

33. MILITARY VEHICLE DRIVING / DESTROYED MILITARY VEHICLE

34. DESTROYED MILITARY VEHICLE / SOLDIERS WALKING BY

35. DESTROYED CARS NEAR ROAD / SOUND OF EXPLOSION

36. DRONE FLYING

37. DESTROYED APARTMENT BLOCK

38. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) LOCAL RESIDENT, SERHII (NO LAST NAME GIVEN), SAYING:

"It is very, very difficult. The elderly are scared. The children remaining here are scared. Everyone wants to leave to various places, where they could be accommodated. But not all the places provide accommodations. The main question is about accommodation, to get housing and finances for at least the first month or two. They (Russians) hit over there, it is always like this."

Poland announced on December 18 that its Patriot air and missile defence systems, integrated with the U.S.-developed Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), have achieved full combat readiness, marking a key development in the country's defence modernisation efforts. (1064-UKRAINE-CRISIS/POLAND-PATRIOTS)

SOCHACZEW, POLAND (DECEMBER 18, 2025) (REUTERS-Access all)

39. POLISH SOLDIERS STANDING / PATRIOT AIR DEFENCE SYSTEM

40. SOLDIER SALUTING TO POLISH MINISTER OF DEFENCE WLADYSLAW KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ

41. (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) POLISH MINISTER OF DEFENCE, WLADYSLAW KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ, SAYING:

"This is the most expensive component of Poland's national defence system. The launch of drones or missiles and the cost of defending against them is ten times—if not much more—higher than the cost of the missiles or drones that are launched. This shows how major an investment it is, and for that I would like to sincerely thank all Poles, all taxpayers, who contribute to this system."

42. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS STANDING

43. PATRIOT SYSTEM

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