Int'l donors platform for Ukraine recovery to be launched as early as in Jan - von der Leyen

MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) - The international donors platform to coordinate the Ukraine recovery effort will be up and running this month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a press conference on the Swedish presidency of the European Union in Kiruna, Sweden, on Friday, as reported by the Ukrainian media.

"We are preparing for Ukraine's reconstruction. The international donors' platform that we set up with our G7 partners will be up and running this month. It will help coordinate the different support for Ukraine today. It will also be an important tool to ensure that the reconstruction combines reform and investment," von der Leyen said.

The reconstruction combined with reforms "paves the way towards membership of the European Union," she said.

In addition, von der Leyen announced the allotment of the first tranche of an annual assistance package to Ukraine in the amount of 18 billion euros.

"We will start still in January to disburse the first tranche of the 18-billion-euro support package for Ukraine. This is the largest macro-financial assistance package that the European Union has ever delivered to a partner country," von der Leyen said.