The EU is preparing a €90 billion loan for Ukraine
The European Union is preparing to take one of its biggest financial steps in support of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war. As early as May 18, EU countries may finalize the terms of a €90 billion loan for Kyiv, according to Politico.
Once internal procedures are completed, Brussels will officially approve the loan program. Before that, Ukraine and the EU must agree on a debt repayment mechanism—specifically, using future reparations from Russia.
In Europe, officials are already openly stating that if Moscow refuses to compensate for the damages after the war ends, frozen Russian assets could be used to repay the loan.
The first tranche for Ukraine could arrive as early as June 2026. Its total amount will exceed 9 billion euros. A significant portion of these funds will go toward defense. Specifically, 5.9 billion euros are planned to be spent on purchasing drones for Ukraine. “The Commission aims to disburse the first tranche as soon as possible, in the second quarter of 2026. It will cover the purchase of drones from Ukraine for Ukraine,” a European official told Politico.
The European Commission plans to allocate another 3.2 billion euros to the country’s budgetary needs. This includes, in particular, paying military salaries and funding key government expenditures.
Brussels acknowledges that Ukraine will need even more money in 2027. But they also understand that it will be more difficult to agree on new large aid packages if EU countries do not agree to take on additional joint debt.
Despite this, the European Union remains Ukraine’s main financial partner. “EU members and European financial institutions have provided Ukraine with a total of 200.6 billion euros. Thus, the EU is Ukraine’s largest and most stable financial partner,” stated a European Commission representative.
Since the start of the full-scale war, Europe has regularly allocated funds to Ukraine for defense, economic support, energy, and infrastructure reconstruction. However, the current €90 billion package is one of the largest ever.
The EU may make a final decision on the loan as early as next Monday.
The European Union may make the first payment to Ukraine as early as next week as part of a 90-billion-euro financial aid package.
On April 23, EU member states approved the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which imposes restrictions on 46 vessels of the “shadow fleet” and 60 entities supporting the Russian military-industrial complex. The new measures include stricter export restrictions on dual-use goods and sanctions against 20 credit and financial institutions.
A trilateral meeting between the leaders of Ukraine and the European Union took place in Nicosia, following which Volodymyr Zelenskyy, António Costa, and Ursula von der Leyen issued a joint statement on a new phase of support for Kyiv. The discussion focused on a 90-billion-euro loan, sanctions pressure on Russia, and Ukraine’s continued progress toward EU membership. The leaders emphasized the need for swift decisions and strengthened joint action.
