EU ministers again $5 billion mortgage to Ukraine, focus on long-term choices By Reuters

By Jason Hovet and Jan Strupczewski

PRAGUE (Reuters) -European Union finance ministers on Friday backed a 5 billion euro ($5 billion) mortgage for Ukraine to assist maintain its faculties, hospitals and different wanted operations operating because it fights towards Russia’s invasion.

Assembly in Prague, the ministers additionally mentioned longer-term choices to assist Ukraine fund its reconstruction sooner or later, in addition to attainable different choices to provide short-term financing.

EU international locations have been offering ongoing help with monetary and army support to Ukraine as Kyiv seeks to take again land in Russia’s fingers because it launched what Moscow calls a “particular operation” in February.

The 5 billion euro mortgage agreed on Friday, which will probably be backed by ensures of EU member states, is a part of an general 9 billion euro bundle introduced in Might.

The primary 1 billion euros was absolutely despatched in early August, whereas Czech Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura mentioned upcoming conferences would resolve how the remaining 3 billion euros within the bundle could possibly be break up into loans or grants.

“All member states agreed on additional help for Ukraine,” Stanjura mentioned.

A report launched Friday by the World Financial institution, Ukrainian authorities and European Fee calculated Russia’s invasion brought on over $97 billion in direct damages to Ukraine by means of June 1, whereas it might value almost $350 billion to rebuild the nation.

European Fee Vice-President Valdis Dombrovski mentioned prices to assist re-build Ukraine can be immense as struggle drags right into a seventh month.

“Clearly Ukraine wants short-term monetary help to maintain the nation operating every day and preserve important companies,” he mentioned.

“We additionally must look past speedy wants, as long-term prices for Ukraine’s reconstruction are prone to continue to grow so long as struggle continues.”

The EU’s govt is already taking a look at authorized obstacles to utilizing confiscated Russian property to assist with Ukraine’s reconstruction prices, whereas ministers have been discussing different choices for long-term funding, with out offering particulars.

Stanjura mentioned ministers have been additionally trying into different choices for extra short-term financing which may be wanted past the 9 billion euro bundle already being disbursed in levels.

($1 = 0.9954 euro)