WASHINGTON (Realist English). US presses EU to speed up financial aid to Ukraine, reports Financial Times. Senior officials in the Biden administration have voiced frustration at Brussels over the slow disbursement of European aid to Kyiv, said four officials speaking under the condition of anonymity.
The White House have also requested Brussels set up a “regular mechanism” for financial support, to more quickly deliver promised assistance to Ukraine, to increase their commitments, and to prioritise assistance in the form of grants over loans, that is, without the need for a refund, they said.
Washington used meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last week to urge European partners to fix bottlenecks holding up the cash, according to a European official with knowledge of the discussions.
In parallel, the Kiev regime is also appealing to Europe. Another EU official said Ukraine’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal met European Council president Charles Michel to stress Kyiv needed about €3.5bn each month.
“The one message . . . was an urgent need to see the [money]. He [Shmyhal] was pleading for this [the money] to come as fast as possible” — whether in loans or grants, the official said.
Washington has provided $8.5bn in economic assistance to Kyiv, and requested an additional $4.5bn in grants from Congress.
Meanwhile, Brussels has paid €1bn of the €9bn it pledged in May, reports Financial Times.
