On Tuesday 21 March, the European Commission disbursed a second tranche of €1.5 billion as part of the EU’s €18 billion macroeconomic assistance to Ukraine for the whole of 2023 (see EUROPE 13082/2).
The aid, in the form of concessional loans, will be used to pay the salaries and pensions of Ukrainian civil servants, keep essential public services operational and repair vital infrastructure in a country at war.
According to the Commission, the Ukrainian authorities have complied with the conditions attached to the financial assistance and have reported on the use of the funds already transferred. In particular, a new head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau has been appointed, supervision of public banks has improved, and the appointment of a supervisory board for the energy company Naftogaz is expected to improve gas distribution, the EU institution said in a statement.
A first tranche of €3 billion was paid in January (see EUROPE 13101/23). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)