The European Commission will prepare a backup plan to help Kyiv in case of refusal of other countries of the bloc
According to the Financial Times, extra-budgetary sources may be used to finance Kyiv
The European Commission is preparing contingency plans to help Ukraine if it fails to reach a consensus among EU member states on the allocation of funds.
Source. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference on the occasion of the beginning of the Belgian presidency in the EU Council.
In December last year, Ukraine received the last tranche of the €1.5 billion aid package, which totaled €18 billion.
Von der Leyen claims that these funds should be enough to cover the costs in early 2024. At the same time, she emphasized that a decision on new funding should be made as soon as possible.
The European Union faced difficulties in December due to Hungary's refusal to agree on the allocation of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 50 billion euros for four years.
European Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn confirmed the existence of a plan B, without disclosing details.
According to the Financial Times, off-budget sources may be used to finance Kyiv. An emergency summit on this issue is expected in late January or early February.
In November, Finance Minister Sergiy Marchenko warned that without additional support from its allies, Ukraine faces a budget deficit of €29 billion.
Background. As a reminder, Belgium has officially taken over the EU presidency, and von der Leyen called financial assistance to Ukraine the "most strategic" of the Belgian presidency's priorities.
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