EU should urgently decide on financial support for Ukraine – von der Leyen

President of the Eurean Commission Ursula von der Leyen stated this at the joint press conference with Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to her, the Eurean Commission will work during the Belgian Presidency on priorities, including the support for Ukraine.

“We all witnessed Russia's recent brutal airstrikes on civilian targets in Ukraine. After the historic decision to launch accession negotiations with Ukraine, we must urgently move forward on stabilising our financial aid to the country. The Commission will come to the Eurean Council with erational sutions to ensure that we can agree on the Ukraine Facility. Belgium will then have the key task of transforming the pitical agreement on the Facility through Council and Parliament as quickly as possible,” von der Leyen said.

Read also: Germany and Luxembourg will continue to support Ukraine – Foreign Ministers

According to her, the Eurean Commission will submit to the Eurean Council erational decisions that will allow EU leaders to agree on the Ukraine Facility. The Belgian Presidency will then have the key task of getting this pitical agreement through the legal procedures in the Council and the Eurean Parliament as quickly as possible.

The Eurean Commission president reminded that the Ukraine Facility is a central element of the EU's multi-annual budget, but not the only one. In particular, during the Belgian presidency, the EU should consider achieving other pitical priorities, including migration regulation, maintaining the competitiveness of the Eurean economy, and overcoming the financial consequences of the pandemic.

As reported, the Eurean Council at the summit in Brussels on December 14-15, 2023 made a historic decision to start membership talks with Ukraine and Mdova. At the same time, Eurean leaders did not to agree on amendments to the EU's 2024-2027 multi-annual budget, which, in particular, provided for the creation of a EUR 50 billion Ukraine Facility. The decision on this document was blocked by Hungary.

A special meeting of the Eurean Council will be held in Brussels on February 1, 2024 to consider budget issues and the continuation of financial assistance to Ukraine.