The European Union finance ministers, Monday, approved €1 billion in financial aid to Ukraine, billing it as the first installment of a promised nine-billion-euro rescue package agreed by European leaders in May.
EU diplomats said the rest of the €9 billion was still held up as some member states argued over whether a country at war was in a position to sign on to long-term loans.
“I wish the amount were greater,” said, one EU diplomat, though adding that talks among member states to release more funds for Kyiv were “on the right track”.
The €1 billion announced on Tuesday is in addition to €1.2 billion disbursed earlier this year by the European Union, bringing the bloc’s total financial aid to Ukraine since the invasion on February 24 to 2.2 billion euros.
