Von der Leyen expects 1st tranche of loan to be provided to Ukraine in April

BRUSSELS. Jan 14 (Interfax) - The first tranche of the European Union's 90-billion-euro loan to Ukraine should be provided in April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

"We now of course count on the European Parliament and the Council to agree swiftly on these proposals so that we are able to give the first disbursement in April," von der Leyen said at a news conference in Brussels on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, the European Commission approved its proposal for a loan to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027, with 24 of the 27 EU countries participating in the initiative, von der Leyen said.

She also reiterated that Ukraine would not have to repay the loan unless it received compensation from Russia for damage incurred during the conflict.

The proposal formulated by the European Commission at the end of 2025 on using Russia's immobilized assets for assistance to Ukraine "remains on the table" if the EU countries decided to review this option, she said.

The EU leaders resolved in December 2025 not to use frozen Russian assets for assisting Ukraine for the time being but to issue a loan to Kiev instead.