In a landmark decision reached on Wednesday, May 8, European Union member states have agreed to allocate billions of euros from frozen Russian central bank assets to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities and aid its post-war reconstruction.

This move comes as Moscow has made battlefield gains in recent months, exploiting its manpower and weapons advantage while Kyiv awaited critical new Western aid, more than two years into the war.

With Washington finally set to deliver on a long-stalled aid package, the European Union has also been under pressure to increase its support for Ukraine.

Leaders of the 27-nation bloc had already agreed in March to move forward with the proposal to utilize the frozen assets, which are expected to…