We will fulfill commitment to provide EUR 90 billion to Ukraine - European Commission President
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that despite obstacles in the final adoption of the decision to provide Ukraine with a loan of EUR 90 billion, this promise will be fulfilled.
She made the corresponding statement on Monday in Brussels, speaking at the annual meeting of ambassadors of European Union member states to countries outside the Community. As is known, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to block the provision of the loan to Ukraine, but in her speech, von der Leyen did not mention his name once.
Emphasizing that the EU "continues to work every day together with Ukraine and our partners to ensure true long-term security for Ukraine, so that we can ensure a full, just, and lasting peace," the President of the European Commission pointed out that for this, Ukraine "first of all, needs stable financial support."
"As you know, that is why we proposed a loan of EUR 90 billion to finance Ukraine’s needs. And you have all seen the difficulties we faced in trying to implement it, even after all 27 leaders agreed to it. This goes back to the point I mentioned earlier about whether our system is still capable of operating effectively. But I can assure you that in this case, we will fulfill our obligations. Because our credibility is at stake, and more importantly, our security. So for us, this is a priority and absolutely clear: we will provide this EUR 90 billion loan," she stated.
According to von der Leyen, "the same logic applies to enlargement." "There has been much discussion about how we can implement a merit-based process in a timely manner. But it is extremely important that we prepare now by bringing the Western Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine closer to our Union. Enlargement is not a matter of ideology. It is a matter of common European interests and security. And we must be ready to fulfill our obligations as soon as the time comes," the President of the European Commission is convinced.
Furthermore, she stated that when it comes to security, "we must talk about Ukraine, a proud European nation that continues to fight for our freedoms, both as a future member of our Union and as Europe’s first line of defense." "And my message here is very clear. Europe will always stand with Ukraine, regardless of what happens elsewhere. We all want this horror and bloodshed to end. And no one wants peace more than the people of Ukraine. But the war must end in a way that does not sow the seeds for future conflicts," von der Leyen stated.
