European Commission releases €2.9 billion for Ukraine: Zelensky says it is “very valuable support in time”

BRUSSELS – The European Commission today released €2.9 billion in financial assistance for Ukraine, to cover its financial needs and keep the country’s public administration running, as it continues to defend itself from Russia’s war.

The payment is the eighth disbursement under the Ukraine Facility, the European Union’s main instrument for Ukraine. For the first time, the payment also includes €800 million under the Ukraine Support Loan component, a new credit instrument for Kyiv. As the European Commission announces, the payment comes after Ukraine’s successful implementation of reforms in strategic areas such as justice, financial markets, human capital, the business environment, energy, transport, agriculture and the green transition.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that “Europe will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes”, stressing that this disbursement helps the country’s financial stability and paves the way for investments that will support Ukraine’s future recovery.

With this payment, the European Union’s total support for Ukraine under the Ukraine Plan passes €32 billion. By the end of 2026, Kyiv still has €33.7 billion at its disposal — €29.3 billion under the Ukraine Support Loan and €4.4 billion under the Ukraine Facility. The Commission said it remains committed to the €90 billion loan for the period 2026–2027, of which €60 billion will go to Ukraine’s defence industry and €30 billion to budget support.

According to the European Commission, since the start of the war in 2022, the EU and its member states have made €227.4 billion available to Ukraine, including €3.8 billion secured from the revenues of frozen Russian assets.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the news, calling it “very valuable support in time, which will help Ukraine’s macro-financial stability and strengthen our defence capacities”, according to reporting by The Kyiv Independent.