European Commission President von der Leyen reaffirms allocation of 18 bln euros for Ukraine in 2023

MOSCOW. Dec 13 (Interfax) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has confirmed the allocation of 18 billion euros for Ukraine in 2023.

"Yesterday evening, it was possible to agree on 18 billion euros for Ukraine, 1.5 billion every month, so [ensuring] a steady flow of direct budget support," von der Leyen said at the Standing with the Ukrainian People conference hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.

The EU is also working to increase the amount of electricity it can trade between Ukraine, Moldova, and the rest of Europe, Ukrainian media quoted von der Leyen as saying. "Meanwhile, we have provided 40 large generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply to 30 hospitals," she said.

The European Commission is willing to mobilize 30 million euros to buy 30 million LED light bulbs for Ukraine, she said.

The Ukrainian reconstruction platform will start functioning next month, von der Leyen said. "The European Commission together with Ukraine will provide the secretariat. The platform is about immediate relief [...] and then we'll go on with sustainable reconstruction," she said.

"Right now we're working with our G7 partners to integrate their energy assistance. [...] We are now creating a new hub in Poland, which will become operational already this week. It is, quite simply, a network of warehouses, from which goods can be transferred quickly into Ukraine," she said