More money for Ukraine under strict conditions

The European Parliament has approved the disbursement of a further €1 billion in financial assistance to Ukraine to help the country cover part of its external financing needs and to provide incentives to step up reforms.

“This is not unconditional support!”, underlined Jarosław Wałęsa MEP, the EPP Group Spokesman in the International Trade Committee.

“There are firm conditions to ensure that this money will serve economic stabilisation and support the reforms. It is very important to recall that the European Commission cancelled the last tranche of the 3rd MFA programme when some commitments were not fulfilled by Ukraine. Therefore, it is crucial that the two unfulfilled anti-corruption measures be part of the new conditions. If corruption is not radically addressed, MFA funds should not be delivered to Ukraine. Our common goal is to help Ukraine but we need to closely follow the situation and breathe down their necks”, noted Wałęsa.

Michael Gahler MEP, EPP Group Spokesman in the Foreign Affairs Committee, underlined that his committee expects very concrete steps from Ukraine: "For the citizens of Ukraine, the fight against corruption and for democratic institutions is the top priority, together with the war in Donbas. We support the modernisation and European choice of Ukraine. As a consequence, and in exchange for our financial assistance, we expect the correct legal establishment of the High Anti-Corruption Court within the next two weeks and we demand the lifting of the asset declaration obligations on civil society activists and the limitation of these to public officials as well as the politically-balanced composition of election commissions."

After this disbursement, the total support which Ukraine receives will reach €3.4 billion.