Zelenskyy says €90 bln aid unfreezing sends signal Russia must end war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said the decision to unblock €90 billion in European Union assistance for Ukraine, alongside a new sanctions package against Russia, sends the right signal that Moscow must end the war.

He said implementation of the agreements with the EU, including the release of the €90 billion aid package over the next two years and the adoption of new sanctions against Russia, has already begun.

“The unfreezing is the right signal in the current situation. Russia must end the war. And it will only have the motivation to do so when support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia are both sufficient,” Zelenskyy said.

He stressed that Ukraine is fulfilling its obligations to the European Union, “including on controversial issues such as the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline,” and said Kyiv expects corresponding steps from its European partners.

“We expect the European side to deliver what is necessary to truly protect lives and advance Ukraine’s full European integration,” the President said.

At the same time, Kyiv is hoping for the rapid activation of the financial package and is continuing talks with European leaders on opening new clusters within the EU accession process.

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine is also working to increase sanctions pressure on Russia and strengthen the European energy system in order to limit Moscow’s ability to “manipulate Europe’s energy supply.”

The EU member states’ permanent representatives approved the 20th package of sanctions against Russia and backed the allocation of the €90 billion loan package for Ukraine.

The final decision is expected to be approved by the European Council through a written procedure, likely to be completed on Thursday, when European leaders gather for an EU summit in Cyprus. Disbursement of the funding is expected to begin in May.