The European Union will provide additional financial assistance of 1 billion euros to Ukraine in the form of a loan to be repaid with the proceeds from frozen Russian assets, Reuters reported, BTA reports.
"With today's payment of 1 billion euros, we confirm our firm commitment to Ukraine," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "We are helping to rebuild the economy and critical infrastructure damaged by Russian aggression. We will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary," she added.
The financial assistance is aimed at repairing damage from Russian attacks and will be used for current and future military support, budgetary needs and the repair of vital infrastructure such as energy facilities, water supply systems, transport networks, roads and bridges.
The payment is part of a wider G7 initiative that aims to provide around 45 billion euros in financial support to Ukraine by 2027.
European diplomacy chief Kaia Kalas stressed that EU support must be translated into concrete actions, especially regarding the supply of ammunition.
"If you listen to the statements of the leaders, the support is strong, but it must also be seen in the actual supplies - in the numbers and the ammunition that Ukraine needs," Kalas said ahead of an EU summit in Brussels. It plans to present a proposal to provide two million artillery shells to Kiev.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Europe must continue to support Ukraine, regardless of the talks between Washington and Moscow. He stressed that the EU must ensure that Kiev negotiates from a position of strength and that any ceasefire is sustainable.
"We must maintain our clear position that a just peace must be possible for Ukraine," Scholz said, adding that this means preserving the country's independence and sovereignty, as well as building a strong army.
Sholz stressed that the debt package agreed by Germany's future ruling coalition, which will finance defense and infrastructure, is also key to European security. "We will now be able to do what is necessary as one of the leading countries in Europe," he concluded.