Zelenskyy says von der Leyen praised Ukraine's reform progress tied to unlocking EU tranche
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen praised Ukraine's progress in implementing reforms that will help unlock financial tranches, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Zelenskyy reported he had a conversation today with the President of the European Commission. He added that Ukraine continues to implement necessary reforms to secure financial assistance under the Ukraine Facility mechanism.
"Today, I signed laws on the reform of the National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing and Management of Assets Derived from Corruption and Other Crimes (ARMA) and on factoring. Ursula acknowledged the progress in fulfilling the relevant indicators," Zelenskyy said.
Earlier this week, it became known that Ukraine would receive a reduced fourth tranche under the Ukraine Facility due to delays in adopting the ARMA law and two other reforms. The shortfall amounts to €1.5 billion.
European Commission Spokesperson Guillaume Mercier stated that Ukraine had submitted a payment request on June 6 for a partial disbursement of €3 billion, rather than the initially requested €4.5 billion. The Commission assessed 13 out of 16 reforms as completed and proposed to allocate €3.05 billion as the fourth tranche under the Ukraine Facility.
However, RBC-Ukraine sources indicated that Ukraine could still secure the remaining €1.5 billion by the end of the year if all conditions are met.
What else Zelenskyy said
According to the President, he discussed Ukraine's European integration with von der Leyen. They also discussed further strengthening sanctions against Russia and the operation of Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure.
In particular, they discussed a draft law that guarantees the independence and efficiency of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies.
"I thanked the European Commission for the provided expertise. We share the same vision: it is important that the bill is adopted without delay, as early as next week," Zelenskyy said.
He also expressed gratitude for the adoption of the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia, especially for lowering the price cap on Russian oil.
"Ukraine continues synchronization with the European sanctions. All 18 packages are in force in Ukraine," the statement reads.
They also discussed the efforts needed to initiate the first negotiation cluster on Ukraine's EU membership. According to Zelenskyy, work on this will proceed as swiftly as possible.
ARMA reform
Today, Zelenskyy signed a law that launches a major reform of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).
The law provides for an independent audit, establishes transparent procedures for selecting the Agency's leadership, and ensures transparent management of seized assets.
More details about the new law can be found in RBC-Ukraine's report.
