Joanna Kakisis

The Trump administration is proposing turning this portion into a free economic zone.

Volodymyr Polovyi, a soldier whose unit is stationed in Donbass,

says Russia has been trying to occupy the region for more than a decade.

And during that time, he says, Russia signed peace and ceasefire agreements and did not respect them.

Joanna Kekises, NPR News, Kiev.

EU leaders failed to agree on using these immobilized Russian assets as collateral for a loan to Ukraine, fearing legal retribution from the Kremlin.

Though the loan backed by the EU budget could be more costly, European leaders celebrated it as a win.

So did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who says it shows Russia that Kyiv has strong support from its allies.

The loan will cover two-thirds of Ukraine's financial and military needs over the next two years.

Without the loan, Zelensky had warned that Ukraine would have to drastically cut its domestic drone production, leaving the country more vulnerable to Russian attacks.

Joanna Kakisis, NPR News, Kyiv.

EU leaders failed to agree on using these immobilized Russian assets as collateral for a loan to Ukraine, fearing legal retribution from the Kremlin.

Though the loan backed by the EU budget could be more costly, European leaders celebrated it as a win.

So did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who says it shows Russia that Kyiv has strong support from its allies.

The loan will cover two-thirds of Ukraine's financial and military needs over the next two years.

Without the loan, Zelensky had warned that Ukraine would have to drastically cut its domestic drone production, leaving the country more vulnerable to Russian attacks.

Joanna Kakisis, NPR News, Kyiv.

President Trump says he thinks it's time for elections in Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is open to that.

In his nightly video address, he said Ukrainian lawmakers are looking into changing the Constitution to allow elections during martial law.

He said, if our partners, including our key partner in Washington, are speaking so concretely about elections in Ukraine under martial law, we must provide responses to every question and every doubt.