EU approved €50 billion loan to Ukraine and Zelenskyy arrived in Albania for summit - Wednesday brief

EU Council finally approves €50 billion in aid to Ukraine

The Council of the European Union has approved the launch of the Ukraine Facility program, within which Ukraine has been promised to receive 50 billion euros by 2027, according to the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine.

Zelenskyy reveals details of his visit to Albania

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Albania, he met with Prime Minister Edi Rama there and participated in the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit.

EU Commission head suggests using profits from Russian assets for arms to Ukraine

European Commission President says the EU should consider using frozen Russian asset profits for Ukraine's military, urging the EU to do more in defense policy.

Ursula von der Leyen adds that there can be no stronger symbol and no greater use for this money than to make Ukraine and the whole of Europe a safer place to live.

Zelenskyy identifies countries at risk if pressure on Russia reduced

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that giving Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin a chance to "politically survive" is not an option. He stated this during a press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, pointing out that countries where Russia can achieve an instant "success effect" will be under threat if there is a pause in the war.

"If Putin is allowed to politically survive, Russia will then use another tactic. It will exert influence on those countries where it can immediately achieve a success effect. This means smaller countries, and therefore under threat, I am confident, including the Baltic states, Moldova, and Balkan states, everywhere the Soviet Union had a presence," he said.

Poland and Ukraine in talks over temporary border closure for trade, Tusk says

Representatives of Poland and Ukraine are in talks regarding the closure of the border between the countries for trade, states the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk.

According to Tusk, the issue of border closure will also be discussed during his meeting with farmers. He notes that there has already been an attempt to limit the influx of agricultural products from Ukraine, allowing duty-free entry for the same amount as the average in 2022-2023.

"It is known that this will be a temporary and mutually painful decision. I am ready to accept even tough decisions when it comes to the border with Ukraine, always in agreement with Kyiv, to avoid unnecessary tension between Warsaw and Kyiv, but we must find a solution that will be long-lasting," says Tusk.

Transnistria appeals to Russia for 'protection' against Moldova

MPs of the so-called Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR) or Transnistria appealed to Russia for protection amid the "increased pressure from Moldova" at assembly, reports NewsMaker.

In particular, they addressed the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the European Parliament, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, urging them to "influence the leadership of Moldova to return to adequate dialogue and cease violations of the rights and freedoms of the residents of Transnistria."

According to the statement of local MPs, Moldova allegedly initiated an "economic war" against the unrecognized PMR. They accused Chisinau of deliberately obstructing negotiations with Tiraspol.

Pentagon considers using $4 billion for aid to Ukraine, CNN

The Pentagon is considering whether to use the last remaining source of military aid funding to support Ukraine's military efforts, even without guarantees that these funds will be reimbursed by Congress, reports CNN.

The Department of Defense still has approximately $4 billion in presidential funds for Ukraine, allowing the Pentagon to use its own reserves to send military equipment to Kyiv.

However, the Pentagon previously hesitated to spend any remaining funds without assurances of reimbursement by Congress through a request for an additional $60 billion in funding from the administration, as depleting stocks from the Department of Defense without a replenishment plan could affect US military readiness.

Abrams tanks and more: Ambassador urges Australia to increase aid to Ukraine

Australia needs to change its approach in aiding Ukraine and provide it with Abrams tanks, as well as money, says Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko.

The ambassador and the head of the organization representing Ukrainians throughout Australia held a presentation for key representatives of the Australian Ministry of Defense.

He also said that Ukraine needs more diverse assistance to end the war and repel Russia's invasion. According to him, simply holding on is not enough.