EU accelerates pace to arm Ukraine with returns from frozen Russian assets. Brussels plans to channel 3 billion euros a year to kyiv from the extraordinary profits generated by funds linked to the Kremlin.

The EU only began to freeze these extraordinary profits in a separate account on February 12. The estimated 3 billion a year windfall profits are small compared to the around 210 billion euros of Russian Central Bank assets – in the form of securities and cash – tied up in the EU. The goal is for leaders to give a boost to the controversial measure at the European Council meeting this Thursday.