European Commission approves new €4.2 billion aid tranche to Ukraine

The European Commission (EC) has approved a new tranche of budgetary aid to Kyiv amounting to €4.2 billion under the Fund for Ukraine.

This announcement was made by EC President Ursula von der Leyen on X, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

"The European Commission has approved a new tranche of almost €4.2 billion for Ukraine under the Fund for Ukraine," von der Leyen wrote.

She noted that with this addition, the total EU funding for Ukraine's budget will reach €12 billion, equivalent to €2 billion per month since the program began on January 1. One-third of the fund is allocated as grants, while two-thirds are provided as loans.

In a statement, the EC emphasized that budgetary aid from this fund is allocated only after fulfilling Brussels' economic conditions.

For this tranche to be allocated, Kyiv reformed the Economic Security Bureau, including changes to the personnel selection process. This bureau is tasked with combating tax evasion and economic crimes. The head of this bureau, as required by Brussels, must be appointed by a special commission of six people, three of whom are to be "foreign experts." The EC did not specify who would appoint these "foreign experts."

Additionally, Kyiv has finalized the supervision system for state-owned enterprises based on EU recommendations. Another condition for the European Commission was Ukraine's adoption of a national energy and climate plan for the period until 2030, which outlines regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the share of renewable energy sources in Ukraine.