Brussels, 22 August 2023
The Commission has today paid €1.5 billion under the Macro-financial Assistance + package for Ukraine worth up to €18 billion. With this instrument, the EU seeks to help Ukraine cover its immediate funding needs, with stable, predictable, and sizeable financial support in 2023. With today’s payment, Ukraine has so far received €12 billion this year under Macro-financial Assistance +.
This support will help Ukraine to continue paying wages and pensions, and keep essential public services running, such as hospitals, schools, and housing for relocated people. It will also allow Ukraine to ensure macroeconomic stability and restore critical infrastructure destroyed by Russia in its war of aggression, such as energy infrastructure, water systems, transport networks, roads, and bridges.
Today’s payment comes after the Commission found on 25 July that Ukraine continued to make satisfactory progress towards implementing the agreed policy conditions and complied with reporting requirements, which aim to ensure the transparent and efficient use of the funds. Ukraine has notably achieved important progress to enhance financial stability, strengthen the rule of law, improve its gas system, encourage energy efficiency and promote a better business climate.
President Ursula von der Leyen said:
“We are mobilising every effort to help Ukraine. Today, we paid another €1.5 billion in assistance to the country, as it faces Russia’s brutal war of aggression and works on restoring its infrastructure. And our support will go well beyond 2023. We will continue to stand resolutely by Ukraine’s side, with up to €50 billion in support proposed for 2024-2027.”
Overall, since the start of the war, the support to Ukraine and Ukrainians amounts to €76 billion. This includes financial, humanitarian, emergency budget and military support to Ukraine from the EU, Member States and the European financial institutions, as well as resources made available to help Member States cater for the needs of Ukrainians fleeing the war. More information is available in this factsheet.
On 20 June, the Commission proposed to set up a dedicated Facility providing coherent, predictable and flexible support to Ukraine for the period 2024-2027, for an overall amount of up to €50 billion.
Source – EU Commission