EU leaders agree on 18 billion euros aid package to Ukraine for next year
The European Council said on Dec. 15 that it agreed on the allocation of 18 billion euros of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine in 2023.
Previously, Poland has refused to back a complex EU package of linked agreements citing concerns regarding a separate minimum corporate tax plan.
Politico reported that Poland’s blocking of the minimum corporate tax rate is hindering aid to Ukraine because if one of the four points is vetoed, all issues will not pass.
“Combining aid for Ukraine with such distant topics which have nothing to do with aid like corporate tax is unnecessary, it is a mistake and an attempt at blackmail,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters ahead of the EU summit.
The EU package was approved after Poland removed its objections to a minimum corporate tax.
The EU leaders also agreed to "urgently intensify the provision of humanitarian and civil protection assistance to Ukraine, including in kind, and assist in the restoration of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure to help Ukraine get through the winter."
On Dec. 15, the EU ambassadors also approved the ninth sanctions package against Russia.
