The 27 finance ministers of the European Union are meeting this Friday and Saturday in Prague. At the start of their meeting, they decided on new macro-financial aid of 5 billion euros for Ukraine, and specifically for state services. Aid which has a financial but also political cost for many European governments.
These five billion euros, paid in the form of loans to Ukraine, are intended for the day-to-day functioning of the Ukrainian state, administrations, schools, hospitals, etc. This sum is part of the envelope of 9 billion euros decided by the‘European Union in May. One billion has already been paid in July and the ministers still want to release the remaining three billion at their next meeting.
“ Ukraine must win this war: it must regain the freedom and independence for which it is fighting so bravely. The EU will continue to do its utmost to make this happen: solidarity will prevail, and peace will return said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
After the last american aidannounced Thursday, the Europeans do not want to be left behind and absolutely want maintain their support for Ukraine because the international mobilization must not weaken. These five billion euros therefore constitute a loan, but some in Europe wonder whether, in times of crisis, governments and the EU will be able to keep the financial tap open.
Political consequences
In Prague, for example, the population has made its discontent felt. Some 70,000 demonstrators marched through the capital to protest against rising energy prices, against the European Union and NATO. The day after the failure of the vote of a motion of censure, they accused the government of being more interested in Ukraine than in the Czech Republic, reports our correspondent in Brussels, Pierre Benazet.
The idea of keeping the money for the Europeans first and the pacifist rhetoric are likely to gain further momentum when EU citizens will no longer be able to afford heating this winter. And this symptom could be amplified with the announced breakthrough of the far right in the Swedish legislative elections this Sunday and Italians on September 25.