China News Service, Beijing, February 2. Comprehensive news: On February 1, local time, the EU special summit held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, reached an agreement and agreed to provide 50 billion euros in additional assistance to Ukraine. Ukraine expects to receive the first tranche of 4.5 billion euros in the aid plan as early as March.
According to reports from Agence France-Presse, Reuters and others, the EU special summit held on the 1st reached an agreement to provide 50 billion euros in aid to Ukraine.
European Council President Michel posted a message on social platforms that day, confirming that the leaders of the 27 EU countries have unanimously agreed to provide Ukraine with an additional 50 billion euros in aid within the EU budget. He said this would provide Ukraine with "stable, long-term, predictable funding."
Ukrainian President Zelensky and Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmeygar posted messages on social platforms respectively that day, welcoming the EU's decision, saying that EU aid funds will mainly be used to make up for Ukraine's budget deficit and will help strengthen Ukraine's long-term economic and financial stability. .
The Ukrainian National News Agency reported on the 2nd that the final condition for determining the aid plan is that it is adopted at the plenary session of the European Parliament held from February 26 to 29. Sources from the Ukrainian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade said that the Ukrainian government is currently working on a transitional financing agreement with the European Union, and Ukraine is expected to receive the first 4.5 billion euros of the EU's 50 billion euro aid plan as early as March.
According to Agence France-Presse, Ukraine urgently needs European assistance to keep its economy running as the U.S. aid plan is blocked in Congress. Due to Hungary's opposition, the EU summit in December 2023 failed to reach an agreement on the aid plan to Ukraine.
According to reports, before the special EU summit held on the 1st, European Commission President von der Leyen, European Council President Michel, French President Macron, Italian Prime Minister Meloni and others held a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Orban to seek Hungarian compromise. The agreement reached at the meeting stipulates that the European Commission prepares a report on the use of Uzbek funds every year and allows the request to review aid if necessary.
Orban said on the 1st that Hungary accepted the EU's agreement to provide 50 billion euros in new aid to Ukraine after receiving a proposal for a control mechanism to ensure the rational use of funds.
It was also reported that before the special EU summit, farmers from France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and other countries used more than a thousand tractors to block the main roads in Brussels in protest. The protests focus on the high cost of agricultural products in many EU countries, the decline in farmers' income, and the implementation of large amounts of aid to other countries while internal economic problems remain unresolved. (over)