Costa: Next step should be opening first cluster of Ukraine's EU accession talks

European Council President Antonio Costa said that after the unblocking of the EU's EUR 90 billion reparations loan for Ukraine and the adoption of the 20th sanctions package against Russia, it was time to prepare for the next step – opening the first cluster of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union.

Speaking during a doorstep briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Costa said it was now time to look ahead and prepare for that next stage.

Von der Leyen said she believed Ukraine could receive the first tranche of EUR 45 billion already in this quarter.

She said the sides had agreed that one third of the loan would go to budgetary needs and two thirds to defense, adding that she expected the first package to be a drone package – drones from Ukraine for Ukraine.

Zelenskyy thanked all EU leaders for their unanimity in adopting the sanctions and unblocking the EUR 90 billion loan, adding that the funds would be directed toward supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, arms production and protecting the energy sector in winter.

He added that work would continue to force Russia back to real diplomacy in order to end the war.

As reported, on April 23 the European Union finally approved the decision to provide Kyiv with a EUR 90 billion loan and adopted the 20th sanctions package against Russia over the war it is waging against Ukraine.

A spokesperson for Cyprus, which currently holds the EU presidency, announced the decision on Thursday.

The spokesperson said the written procedures regarding amendments to the regulation on the multiannual financial framework underlying the EUR 90 billion loan for Ukraine and the 20th sanctions package against Russia had been successfully completed, and that both documents had been adopted unanimously.

Earlier, Zelenskyy, who is on a visit to Cyprus where the European Union summit is taking place, said the previously approved EU reparations loan for Ukraine in the amount of EUR 90 billion had been finally unblocked and that he expected the first tranche to arrive next month or in June.