50 billion euros will be allocated to Kyiv by 2027, 33 billion of them – loans
The EU began negotiations on the membership of Ukraine and Moldova, and Georgia received the status of a candidate country for the union. This was decided at the EU summit after a long day of negotiations today.
“This is a victory for Ukraine. A victory for all of Europe. A victory that motivates, inspires and strengthens,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was opposed to “accelerating” the procedure for launching Ukraine’s EU negotiations, left the hall with the leaders, later announcing that his country “does not want to participate in this bad decision” and that “we are not changing our position”.
And negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina will begin as soon as the country reaches the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria.
A compromise proposal for replenishing the EU budget was also accepted by the EU leaders at the meeting. It includes 50 billion euros for Ukraine for the period 2024-2027, with 17 billion in the form of grants, and the remaining 33 billion in loans, the Guardian reported.
“If Ukraine falls, these costs that we are currently discussing will be many times smaller than what will be needed to prepare Europe to prevent possible aggression. These funds are an investment in the future,” Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said earlier in Brussels.
2 billion euros are foreseen for migration and management at the borders
as well as the New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
A further €7.6 billion is expected to be allocated to “maintaining effective cooperation in the field of migration with third countries”, as well as to support the Western Balkans. The document also indicates 1.5 billion euros for the European Defense Fund, and 9.1 billion euros remain for urgent priorities.
As soon as he arrived in Brussels, Orban declared that Ukraine had not fulfilled the preconditions, and that “there is no reason to negotiate now” for its membership in the EU. When asked if he is against Ukraine in the EU, he answered: “No. It is a matter of procedure”. EU enlargement is another topic the leaders are discussing.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaia Kalas indicated after a conversation with Orban that she did not feel “optimistic” but stressed that “we have to reach an agreement… we are not ready to give up yet.” Callas noted that
It’s Ukraine fulfilled the criteria to start of negotiations
to join, which can “take years.
However, Hungary was not the only country that questioned the acceleration of the process for Ukraine’s entry into the EU. According to Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Croatia, Italy, Greece, Slovenia and Slovakia, “it is important to have a balanced approach and apply the same criteria to all candidate countries”.
In a video address to the EU leaders before their decision, the Ukrainian president emphasized that Kiev has fulfilled everything necessary for membership: “We have adopted the key laws. You all know very well that we have fulfilled our obligations. Today I am asking you for one thing – do not betray the people and their faith in Europe. If nobody believes in Europe, what will keep the EU alive?”.
2023-12-14 19:02:00
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