13/06/24 (Agence Europe) – On Thursday 13 June, the leaders of the G7 countries reached an agreement on a loan of around $50 billion to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russian military aggression, according to AFP. The final legal details still had to be finalised, bearing in mind that the sums borrowed would be pledged against the current and future profits generated by the Russian Central Bank’s assets tied up in the participating countries. The Europeans were in favour of each jurisdiction providing a bilateral loan to the Ukrainian authorities so as not to require a joint guarantee at G7 level, unless profits were no longer guaranteed due to the lifting of sanctions against Russia. For the EU, which has a specific regime (see EUROPE 13413/21), the decision on this loan would be inspired by ‘MFA+’ macro-financial assistance to a third country, the adoption of which does not require unanimity of the Member States. (MB)