BRUSSELS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope Thursday that the European Union would move forward with plans to help Ukraine with a mammoth new “reparations loan” funded by frozen Russian assets.
Zelensky was in Brussels for talks with EU leaders, who discussed plans to hand 140 billion euros ($162 billion) to Kyiv over the next few years, to keep it afloat as the war with Russia drags on.
“I hope that they will make a political decision, positive decision in one or another way to help Ukraine with funds,” Zelensky told a press conference after the meeting.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive, has floated a complex scheme that would see Ukraine pay back the money only once Russia coughs up for the damages it has caused.
The move is fraught with legal and political perils. Belgium, where the bulk of the money is held, has demanded guarantees that the rest of the bloc will share any liabilities if Russia takes the matter to court.
