“The European Union provided in the new loan to Ukraine the possibility of financing the purchase of Ukrainian weapons, which is a new element of support. EU Ambassador Katarina Maternova explained in an interview that this money is for Ukraine, not through intermediaries, and priority is given to purchases directly within the country. “As the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen noted during the press conference, it is obvious that”, — write on: ua.news
The European Union provided in the new loan to Ukraine the possibility of financing the purchase of Ukrainian weapons, which is a new element of support. EU Ambassador Katarina Maternova explained in an interview that this money is for Ukraine, not through intermediaries, and priority is given to purchases directly within the country.
“As the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, noted during the press conference, it is obvious that priority is given directly to purchases in Ukraine. This is an innovation – support for the purchase of Ukrainian weapons,” Maternova said. She explained that priority is given to Ukrainian production, however, if the necessary weapons or components are not available in Ukraine or the EU, purchases can be made in third countries, including the USA. This makes the new mechanism even more beneficial for Ukraine than the previous SAFE instrument.
“SAFE is a tool for member states, and for Ukraine – only indirectly. But within the limits of this loan, it is a tool specifically for Ukraine. So in that sense it is even better than SAFE. This is money for Ukraine, not money for member states to cooperate with Ukraine,” the ambassador emphasized.
According to Maternova, the loan is also important to support the approval of the IMF program, because it allows to avoid the deficit of state financing. “This loan is a very clear signal to Russia that the EU supports Ukraine – its army, public services, economy and the state in general,” she said.
The ambassador also emphasized a special condition for the return of funds: “This loan will be returned only on the condition that Russia pays reparations to Ukraine. I think it’s a very generous loan structure and a very important element of overall support.”
Thus, the new EU loan not only helps the economy, but also specifically strengthens Ukraine’s defense capabilities, giving the opportunity to purchase its own weapons and components, instead of relying on intermediaries.
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