'We always put conditions for support for Ukraine' - EU Ambassador to Ukraine
Photo: Katarína Mathernová, Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
The allocation of assistance to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program for $50 billion is motivated by respect for effective democratic mechanisms. This provision has always been a condition for assisting, Ambassador of the EU to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová stated in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
"For all of our lending, which we have done over the last ten years, a lot, both as macrofinancial assistance and as budget support, we have always put conditions. This is not the first time," she said.
She stated that a precondition for supporting Ukraine under the facility would be that Ukraine continues to uphold and respect.
"But this was a precondition for all of our macrofinancial assistance before," the Ambassador said.
Mathernová stated that the conditions have not changed over the past ten years. "They are called preconditions. There are specific conditions for each tranche etc. But the precondition is that Ukraine is a democratic, pluralistic country," she added.
Assessing the level of democracy in Ukraine, Mathernová said, "They are called preconditions. And then there are specific conditions for each tranche etc. But the precondition is that Ukraine is a democratic, pluralistic country."
Ukraine Facility
On February 1, during the summit, the leaders of the European Union approved the allocation of 50 billion euros for Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program for 2024-2027. Ukraine expects to receive the first payment of 4.5 billion euros in March.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine aims to receive 18 billion euros in the first two years of the program.
