Yesterday at 20:05
Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that due to a blocked €90 billion loan from the European Union, €45 billion of which was supposed to be received this year, Ukraine may not have time to prepare for the next winter, UATV English reports.
The head of state reported this during a joint communication with media representatives in Kyiv together with the acting Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Andrey Gyurov.
Answering the question of what risks the President sees due to the blocking of financial assistance from the EU, Zelenskyy said: “The biggest risks are the preparation for winter, because there is a global plan for the protection of energy and water supply. The plan is designed so that by winter we complete everything, at least the physical protection, and it also includes various formats of air defense protection, and so on.”
He noted that in March all regions of Ukraine, including the capital, approved resilience plans. It was expected that active work on their implementation would begin from April 1. However, due to the lack of funding, large-scale works did not start.
“Therefore, this delay is a risk regarding winter. And now maximum efforts are being made to find financing,” the head of state added.
At the same time, he emphasized that resolving the issue of the €90 billion EU loan, or more precisely its first tranche of €45 billion, must be handled by European leaders.
“We can talk a lot about support for Ukraine and about protection, while the money for support and protection is blocked. This needs to be resolved. We strongly believe that the leaders of Europe are much stronger together than any one individual,” the President concluded.
As reported, Hungary blocked the €90 billion EU loan, the next sanctions package of the EU, and the opening of negotiation clusters. The government of Viktor Orbán is at the same time demanding the restoration of the operation of the Druzhba pipeline so that Russia can receive money for the war.
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