Ukraine receives 2 bln euro in macro-financial aid from EU - Shmygal
MOSCOW. Oct 18 (Interfax) - Ukraine has received 2 billion euros in macro-financial aid from the European Union, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said.
"We received another tranche from the European Union today, aimed at supporting Ukraine's economic stability. The additional financial resource will help cover urgent budget expenditures, particularly those in the social and humanitarian fields," Ukrainian media quoted Shmygal as saying on social media.
These funds are the first tranche of a 5-billion-euro package, and Ukraine has already received 4.2 billion euros in macro-financial aid from the EU in 2022, he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in commenting on the disbursement of 2-billion euros to Ukraine that Kiev will continue to receive new macro-financial assistance tranches from the EU.
"Today we are disbursing 2 billion euros in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. More will follow by the end of the year. We'll stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. We will discuss how to ensure continued support with global partners at the Rebuild Ukraine conference," Ukrainian media quote von der Leyen as saying on social media.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky thanked the European Commission for disbursing 2 billion euros in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.
"Ukraine received the next tranche of macro-fin aid from the European Union - 2 billion euros. Grateful to European Commission and President von der Leyen for support," Ukrainian media quoted Zelensky as saying on social media.
Ukraine expects the full implementation of the EU macro-financial assistance program totaling 9 billion euros as soon as possible, he said.
"This is a crucial contribution to Ukraine's financial stability," he said.
Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice President of the European Commission responsible for the Euro and Social Dialogue, and in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union, in early October announced that the second tranche of EU macro-financial assistance totaling five billion euros would be allocated to Ukraine in three tranches at two billion euros in October, and the remaining three billion euros allocated in November and December, subject to certain conditions.
Ursula von der Leyen previously reported that Ukraine in mid-October could receive five billion euros of macro-financial assistance from the EU, and the funds would be allocated to Kiev as long-term loans on a concessional basis. Ukraine expected that the timing of the allocations would be even tighter, with the second tranche coming in September, and third tranche of three billion euros coming in October. Shmygal said that Kiev would like to receive the final tranche as a grant.
The European Parliament on September 15 approved the European Commission's proposal to allocate five billion euros to Ukraine as the second tranche of new macro-financial assistance totaling nine billion euros. Ukraine received the first tranche of one billion euros in August under this program.
The new EU financial assistance program is the seventh in a row. Kiev received the final tranche under the previous sixth program totaling 1.2 billion euros in May.