The Financial Times reported that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner used a meeting in Miami last week with officials from Britain, France, Germany, the EU, NATO and Ukraine to propose unfreezing part of Russia’s frozen assets as a way to restart peace negotiations, with the released funds placed in a special financial vehicle under Washington’s control. European officials rejected the proposal, according to the report, which a US source described as part of the work toward a comprehensive peace agreement, with the release and spending mechanisms still under discussion. The account surfaced in Russian media on Wednesday evening and has not been confirmed by European or US officials in the sources scanned for this item.
Europe rejects US proposal to unfreeze some Russian assets
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner proposed in Miami last week that Europe unfreeze part of Russia's frozen assets to restart Ukraine peace talks, and European officials rejected the idea, the Financial Times reported.
Why it matters: The frozen assets are Europe's largest single lever over Moscow and a candidate funding source for Ukraine: a US push to spend that leverage on restarting talks, rejected by the Europeans, exposes a transatlantic split over the terms of any settlement.
Data as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, Toronto time, via Interfax and Kommersant in Russian, both reporting a Financial Times account. Single underlying source, the FT report as carried by Russian outlets, with no EU or US official confirmation in this run's scan, hence grade C. The Interfax report was opened and read in full. Developing item, 2 to 3 sentences by design.
Sources
- EU refused to unfreeze part of Russian assets to resume Ukraine negotiations · Interfax (in Russian) · 2026-10-15
- FT: US proposed Europe unfreeze part of Russian assets · Kommersant (in Russian) · 2026-10-15