European Commission details how UK can join €90 billion Ukraine aid package

The United Kingdom must meet three conditions to join a project to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan in 2026-2027.

Source: European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari speaking on 4 May, as reported by European Pravda's correspondent in Brussels

Quote: "Today is an important day and we have seen a clear political signal from the United Kingdom to join the €90 billion assistance package for Ukraine. Now obviously it's a first step."

Details: Ujvari specified that the EU and the UK will now "follow up with the actual negotiations to agree on a number of different points".

Sources in the European Commission and diplomatic missions of member states said that UK participation in the €90 billion package for Ukraine will not mean an increase in the amount of funding or any additional deliveries for Ukraine.

The UK will join the commitments undertaken by the 24 states participating in the loan, namely the entire EU except Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia. These commitments include covering annual loan costs and possible future payments in exchange for allowing the British defence industry to sell Ukraine weapons and ammunition paid for from the €90 billion loan in 2026-2027.

Ujvari named three conditions under which the UK could join the loan.

The first is to sign a security and defence partnership agreement with the EU. This condition has already been met.

The second condition is that the UK must provide significant financial and military support to Ukraine. "The Commission will have to assess this criterion," Ujvari noted.

Quote: "And third, the UK must also commit to providing a fair and proportionate financial contribution to the costs arising from borrowing, and that has to be proportionate to the value of contracts awarded to entities established in the UK."

More details: Ujvari pointed out that the European Commission is "ready to move forward as quickly as possible with the UK on this important one".

Background:

• It was reported earlier that the UK plans to begin negotiations on joining the EU's £78 billion (around €90 billion) loan programme for Ukraine.
• European Pravda learned that the first tranche of the military component of the EU's €90 billion loan will amount to €6 billion and will be transferred to Ukraine no later than June.
• Meanwhile, it was reported that the EU may tighten conditions for granting Ukraine the €90 billion loan.

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