US Proposes Unfreezing Russian Assets to Revive Ukraine Peace Talks

The United States has proposed unfreezing a portion of frozen Russian assets as a way to restart stalled peace talks over Ukraine, according to the Financial Times. The proposal was raised by negotiators working for President Trump during a meeting in Miami, but European officials balked at the idea. The move would mark a significant shift in Western policy toward Russia, since the frozen assets have functioned as both leverage and a potential source of funding for Ukraine's reconstruction. European resistance suggests any such proposal faces a difficult path even if Washington wants to move forward, given that a large share of the frozen assets sit in European jurisdictions. What remains unresolved is whether the US can advance this plan without European buy-in, and what Russia would be asked to offer in return. No timeline for a follow-up meeting was disclosed in the reporting.