Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he expects the European Union to continue providing financial assistance to Ukraine for several more years, whether to sustain its defense or rebuild the country.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, as reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Zelenskyy said he told European leaders that "we will not fight for decades, but you should show that over a certain period you can support Ukraine in a stable financial way."
Zelenskyy said European heads of state and government can expect to support Ukraine for another two to three years, citing comments Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently gave to the British newspaper The Times.
"If the war ends in a month, then we will use the money for reconstruction," he said. If the war does not end so quickly, the funds would be used for weapons purchases.
The Ukrainian leader continues to count on transfers based on frozen Russian central bank funds.
There is a discussion in the European Union about granting Ukraine a reparations loan guaranteed by frozen Russian funds amounting to €140 billion ($163 billion).
Belgium, where most of the Russian assets are held, has so far opposed this, arguing that confidence in the financial centre could be significantly damaged. Belgium also fears potential repercussions from Moscow.
At an EU meeting on Thursday, the European Commission, based on a Belgian request, said it will also develop other possible options to provide Ukraine with large-scale financial support for the years 2026 to 2027.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion for more than three and a half years with massive Western help. According to Kyiv, since then, more than €130 billion in foreign funds have been spent solely to support the Ukrainian budget.
