Ukraine may not receive promised €4 billion from EU this year
Photo: The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has warned of the risk of losing EU funding this year (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine is expecting to receive €4 billion from the European Union this year as part of the Ukraine Facility program. However, the disbursement of this financial aid is at risk due to delays by Ukrainian officials, according to the letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, which was shared by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak.
The letter highlights that Ukraine missed deadlines for meeting the conditions of the Ukraine Facility program, specifically regarding the adoption of a bill on plea bargains in corruption cases. This condition was supposed to be fulfilled by the end of the third quarter, but the bill only passed its first reading on October 9.
"Ukraine risks not receiving €4 billion in funding expected from the EU in 2024," the Ministry states.
The MFA emphasized that the EU warned that if the bill is not passed and enacted by the end of October 2024, the €4 billion in funding "will be postponed until next year."
The Ministry also noted that failure to meet these conditions could jeopardize the EU Council’s decision to provide Ukraine with up to €35 billion in loans, as some EU countries might use Ukraine's non-compliance as a reason to block the funding.
Ukraine Facility
The EU has pledged to provide Ukraine with €50 billion in financial aid by 2027 under the Ukraine Facility program.
The program requires Ukraine to meet certain conditions to receive the funds. One of these conditions is the adoption of the plea bargain bill, which proposes shorter prison sentences for those who comply with investigation.
