Belgium on Wednesday rejected a plan to use frozen Russian assets to help prop up Ukraine’s economy and war effort over the next two years, saying that the scheme poses major financial and legal risks.

The European Union proposed two options to refill Ukraine’s war-strained budget, suggesting either a loan backed by frozen Russian assets or one backed by the bloc’s own budget.

The foreign minister says the EU is downplaying its concerns and over the plan which Belgium sees as "fundamentally wrong".

Yuri Ushakov said the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff was "very useful," but that no "compromise option has not yet been found."

BRUSSELS, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The European Commission plans to make a legal proposal this week to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine while also leaving open the possibility of borrowing on financial markets or mixing the two options, four sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

Dressed head to toe in army fatigues, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday received the news he had been awaiting for more than a year: Russia had taken over the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman has condemned Ukrainian drone attacks on two Russian “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Black Sea

Military commanders told President Vladimir Putin in comments reported on Monday that Russian forces had captured the frontline Ukrainian towns of Pokrovsk and Vovchansk and were advancing elsewhere,