Zelenskyy sees risks in winter preparations if EUR 90 bln loan is not unblocked

Funding is currently available for the army, as well as for wages and pensions, but there are risks for preparations for winter if European leaders do not vote to approve the EUR 90 billion loan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

"There are salaries for people, there is funding for the army, pensions are still being paid… What risks do I see? The biggest risks are preparations for winter, because there is a global energy plan to protect the energy sector and water supply," Zelenskyy said during a press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov on Monday.

The president said the winter preparations plan includes the physical protection of facilities, as well as various formats of air defense protection. He also recalled that Ukraine wanted to receive the first tranche of EUR 45 billion, which would be directed toward defense and the budget, but as of today this remains blocked.

"I expected that in March we would adopt all the plans. And that is what happened. We adopted all of them on March 1. The capital was a little later, you saw that. But nevertheless, in March all the plans were adopted in line with our agreement and the provisions. And we must start building everything from April 1. We must get to work. We are getting to work, but this is not a mass rollout because this money is not there," the head of state added.

According to him, Ukrainian lawmakers were given the maximum range of tasks to search for financing, but the issue of the first EUR 45 billion tranche will have to be resolved by European leaders.

"By the leaders on whom we are counting. Because we can talk a great deal about supporting Ukraine and about protection, while at the same time the money for support and protection is blocked. This has to be resolved. We very much believe that Europe’s leaders together are much stronger than any one individual," Zelenskyy said.