Ukraine Has Received Final $1.65 Billion Tranche of Aid From EU

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Ukraine continues to require international support to fight Russia’s invasion and has now received the last 1.5 billion euro ($1.65 billion) tranche from the 18 billion package from the European Union for 2023, Reuters reports. Receipt of the final EU tranche was announced Thursday Dec. 21 by Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

In the throes of battling Russia since Feb. 24, 2022, Ukraine has been concerned that aid from the US and the EU will dry up – not least because Israel now also requires Western military aid to continue its war against Hamas in Gaza.

“Today we have received the last 1.5 billion euros of the 18 billion euro financial aid package. Hope for continued unwavering support from the EU,” Shmyhal said on the X social media platform. Ukraine hopes to receive a further 18.5 billion euros in aid from the EU and over $8 billion from the US for 2024, Reuters said.

The Ukrainian government has been able to reduce its 2024 external financing budget from an initial $41 billion to $37.3 billion, according to EU Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko. The EU was Ukraine’s main donor of direct budget support in 2023, including more than 45% of Ukrainianexternal financing needs, Reuters reports.

“While defense and security are financed at the expense of domestic budget revenues, we are counting on the help of international partners to meet the needs of the social sphere,” Marchenko said in a statement.

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