Help rescue animals from the front line — shop our Companion Collection 🐾

Shop Now
News Feed

EU transferring new $1-billion tranche for Ukraine covered by frozen Russian assets

• 2 min read
EU transferring new $1-billion tranche for Ukraine covered by frozen Russian assets
Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in Brussels, Belgium, on April 9, 2025. (Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal/X)

The EU is allocating another financial assistance tranche of 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) as part of the G7 loan program for Ukraine, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced on April 9.

"We are grateful to our partners for supporting the economy and the rapid recovery of our country," Shmyhal said after meeting EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis in Brussels.

Western nations froze around $300 billion in Russian assets after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with roughly two-thirds held in Europe.

Kyiv has been urging its foreign partners to confiscate the assets and funnel them to Ukraine's defense and reconstruction efforts, but Western leaders have been hesitant to take the step, fearing legal, political, and economic pitfalls.

Instead, the G7 members agreed to provide Kyiv with a $50 billion Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan, which will be repaid with proceeds from the frozen assets.

The EU is providing around 18.1 billion euros ($20 billion) as part of the loan, with another $20 billion shouldered by the U.S. and the rest by the U.K., Canada, and Japan.

"We are delivering on our promise to support Ukraine," Dombrovskis said. "This (aid) provides crucial financing to Ukraine and makes Russia pay for its aggression."

Avatar
Martin Fornusek

Assistant Editor

Martin Fornusek is an assistant editor at the Kyiv Independent. Until recently, Martin held the role of foreign affairs reporter specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, focusing on developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

Read more
News Feed
Video

The Kyiv Independent’s Francis Farrell joins the Alter Ego Battalion of Ukraine’s 93rd Mechanized Brigade to see how Ukrainian soldiers are developing and deploying unmanned ground vehicles in the war against Russia.

Show More