Ukraine will receive a loan from the European Union. The approximate date has been announced
The decision to grant the loan and adopt the 20th package of sanctions against Russia was made unanimously, despite previous blockades by Viktor Orbán's government. — This is a fundamental decision, taken unanimously, Zelensky emphasized during a joint press conference with von der Leyen and Costa, held in Nicosia, Cyprus, during an informal meeting of EU heads of state and government.
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The Ukrainian leader noted that these funds will help strengthen the armed forces, increase the production of air defense systems and protect energy infrastructure before the next winter.
Ukraine will receive a loan from the EU. The decision has been made
The President of the European Commission recalled that in February, in the face of the Hungarian veto, she assured Zelensky that the EU would find a way to unblock the funds. “Today we kept that promise,” von der Leyen said. She added that most of the preparatory work had already been completed, which enables the release of the first tranche, amounting to EUR 45 billion, in May or June.
According to the arrangements, one third of the loan will be allocated to budget expenditure and two thirds to defense. Ukraine's key priority is to invest in the production of drones. — Today we also agreed on the 20th sanctions package [na Rosję]. It's a good day, von der Leyen added.
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Antonio Costa called for the European Union to be prepared for the next steps, including opening negotiation clusters and starting talks on Ukraine's accession to the community.
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As the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster approaches, politicians jointly recalled the importance of nuclear safety. They also called on Russia to stop attacks on Ukrainian nuclear facilities and end their occupation.
