The European Union will give Kiev €1.5 billion a month in 2023 to help the government hold on to Ukraine while the country’s army fights Russian troops, the bloc’s chief executive said on Friday.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke after the EU’s 27 national leaders discussed support for Ukraine during the second day of a summit in Brussels, marking the 240th day of the Ukraine War.
She said the EU has so far given Ukraine €19 billion this year and that the summit is looking to 2023. “It is very important for Ukraine to have a predictable and stable income stream,” she said, adding that Kiev had estimated its monthly needs. between €3 and €4 billion “for the basics”.
Sporting a lapel pin in the yellow and blue colors of the Ukrainian flag, von der Leyen told a news conference that the EU would fund €1.5 billion a month of that amount, with the rest expected to come from the United States and institutions. international.
“That will give a total of 18 billion for the next year — an amount that Ukraine can count on and where there is a steady, reliable and predictable income stream.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke to EU leaders via video conference on Thursday, saying Russian missiles and Iranian drones had damaged a third of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as winter approached.
“Russia is also causing a new wave of migration of Ukrainians to EU countries,” Zelensky said. “Russian terror against our energy facilities is aimed at creating as many electricity and heating problems as possible for Ukraine this autumn and winter, so that as many Ukrainians as possible will move to your countries.”
The European bloc is also looking at how to help Ukraine restore water, energy and electricity supplies, according to von der Leyen.
The Ukrainian leader called on the EU for air defense and anti-missile systems, as well as new sanctions against Russia and also Iran, for providing Moscow with drones for use in the war. The bloc has already imposed limited punishments on Iran over this, but states are divided on whether to apply more sanctions to Russia now.
Hungary is against punishing Russia, while Germany and France say the current measures are already far-reaching. Poland and the three Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have proposed banning diamond imports from Russia and eliminating the steel trade with the country more quickly, but Belgium and Italy are among those opposing such measures.
Zelensky urged the West to warn Russia not to explode a massive dam that could flood large swaths of southern Ukraine, and called for more pledges of aid to be made at an international conference in Berlin next week devoted to Ukraine’s reconstruction.
With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
