06/11/2022 22:52 (act 06/11/2022 23:00)
Von der Leyen wants to support Kyiv with billions more ©APA/AFP
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about plans for a new aid package to Ukraine worth up to 18 billion euros. The European Commission explained that it wants to present the package, which will be divided into monthly installments of 1.5 billion euros each, in Brussels next week.
The advantageous loans are expected to make a “significant contribution” to Kiev’s financial needs in 2023. The funds would also help Ukraine implement further reforms on the road to EU membership, he said.
Zelenskyy explained only on Twitter that he had spoken with von der Leyen about financial support for the current year and next. Another topic was the importance of grain deliveries from Ukraine via the Black Sea to supporting global food security.
The EU Commission, meanwhile, has lowered the expectations of Ukraine’s official candidate for early admission to the international community. “In view of the extensive work needed to prepare for participation in the EU’s internal market and in many other important policy areas, the entire preparation for accession is likely to take more than a year or two,” said the Commissioner for Enlargement of the Union. EU, Oliver Varhelyi, to “Welt”.
According to the paper, Ukrainian Minister for Europe Olha Stefanischyna, on the other hand, is pushing for an accelerated procedure. “Our neighboring countries and the Baltic countries, countries that are among our biggest supporters, have already signaled that rapid accession is possible,” Stefanischyna said.
Ukraine only received EU candidate status in June, along with neighboring Moldova. Many governments and citizens are skeptical about admitting more states to the European Union. The rapprochement talks with the Western Balkan states have been extremely slow for years.