A new draft text discussed by European Union leaders on Thursday offers Belgium and other countries holding frozen Russian assets unlimited guarantees for potential damages, should Moscow successfully sue them for an EU plan to lend them to Ukraine.

The European official said the man accused of coordinating a plot to put explosives in packages on cargo planes, for example, was recruited by Russian intelligence after involvement with smuggling guns and explosives. The man is linked to at least four other plots.

The European Union has imposed sanctions on five businessmen linked to Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft.

The European Union adopted fresh sanctions against Russian oil interests on Monday, targeting traders Murtaza Lakhani and Etibar Eyyub for helping Moscow to circumvent Western sanctions on crude exports that help to fund Russia's war in Ukraine.

Leaders of eight easternmost European Union nations are gathering in Helsinki on Tuesday to plot a roadmap for how to secure as much funding as possible for building up defenses against Russia.

Russia’s Central Bank says it has filed a lawsuit against Belgian financial institution Euroclear. That's the Brussels-based clearing house that holds most of Moscow’s frozen assets in Europe.

Meloni also told the ​Italian ‌parliament that ‍finding a ⁠legal way to use frozen Russian assets to help finance Ukraine remained "far from ​easy". She reaffirmed Italy's support for Kyiv, insisting Moscow must pay for war damages,

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Wednesday that Moscow will seek to extend its gains in Ukraine if Kyiv and its Western allies reject the Kremlin's demands in peace talks.