The European Commission announced today that it is ready to allocate half of the total loan of 90 billion euros to Ukraine this year, provided that the necessary unanimity is achieved in the EU Council, BTA writes.
The Commission has approved Ukraine's financing strategy for 45 billion euros by the end of the year. The rest of the total loan amount is planned for next year, the statement noted. The EC is ready to proceed as soon as possible with the first disbursement of funds to Ukraine, subject to the adoption of the necessary decision by the Council of the EU.
This year, budget support for Kiev is expected to reach €16.7 billion, with €28.3 billion for defence needs.
The Commission also adopted a decision today allowing Ukraine to use concessions from public procurement rules for the procurement of drones. The concessions are also expected to be applied to the supply of missiles and ammunition in the coming months.
Since the start of the Russian military offensive against Ukraine, the EU has provided Kiev with a total of €195 billion in support, including €3.7 billion from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets. According to estimates by the International Monetary Fund, the loan for Ukraine covers 2/3 of Kiev's total financial needs for this and next year, the statement said.
A spokesman for the European Commission said at a press conference that the EU supports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal for a ceasefire on Easter and commented that Russia is clearly once again showing a lack of desire to achieve peace.
The decisions related to the granting of the loan to Ukraine have been blocked since the beginning of the year in the EU Council, where Hungary refuses to fulfill the obligation it assumed in December last year.