Renew Europe welcomed the approval of the Ukraine Facility during the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg this week.
This new EU instrument, composed of €17 billion in grants and €33 billion in loans until 2027, will provide stable and sustainable financing to support Ukraine's recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation, including key reforms necessary on its EU accession track.
Renew Europe insisted on a clear involvement of the Ukrainian Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, in the arrangements and timetable of the monitoring and implementation of the Facility and pushed for clear procedures to make access to funding easier for local NGOs and authorities.
Anti-corruption measures must be in place, to make sure that the money reaches the people most affected by the war and that infrastructure gets rebuilt.
“The important decision on the Ukraine Facility confirms the EU’s commitment to providing long-term assistance to war-torn Ukraine by sending a strong and clear message to the Ukrainians - we are with you and our support will remain with you,” said Petras Auštrevičius MEP (Liberalų sąjūdis, LT), shadow rapporteur on Ukraine Facility in the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs.
By adopting the #Ukraine Facility our commitment to a reformed and democratic Ukraine enters a new phase pic.twitter.com/itAZez7oDf
— Petras Austrevicius (@petras_petras) February 27, 2024
“Two years into this brutal Russian-instigated war, our focus is on ensuring that the commitments made by Western partners to provide ammunition for Ukraine's defence and to recover temporarily occupied territories are met and even exceeded. We must work together to bring Ukraine into the European Union where it belongs.”
“Ukraine urgently needs to rebuild pieces of social, transport and industrial infrastructure, to maintain its economy and guarantee basic social services. We have agreed with the Council that the financial aid will be delivered in Ukraine with full transparency and accountability,” added Vlad Gheorghe MEP (Independent, RO).
BREAKING: #Ukraine Facility passed almost unanimously! 🙏🏻🇺🇦
— MEP Vlad Gheorghe (@VladDanGheorghe) February 27, 2024
Loud & clear once again: Ukraine will win & we’ll stand by its side!#RussiaIsATerroristState #Russia #UkraineNeverSurrenders pic.twitter.com/meMtBfM7OO
Renew Europe condemns the deliberate torture and killing of Ukrainian prisoners of war by the Russian side, and calls for an independent investigation and prosecution of such crimes and for increased efforts to exchange prisoners between Ukraine and Russia.