Zelensky, von der Leyen plan to meet at UN as EU releases $3.7 billion for Ukraine
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President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by phone on Sept. 17, to discuss aid to Ukraine and the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City.
The call comes a day after von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the EU address to the European Parliament.
The EU will disburse another 3.3 billion euros (over $3.7 billion) to Ukraine on Sept. 18, von der Leyen said in a press release after her conversation with Zelensky. The aid package will go towards purchases of missiles and drones for Ukraine's defense forces, she said.
The funds are part of the 28.3 billion euros ($32.9 billion) earmarked for Ukraine's defense under the EU defense support loan this year. With the latest disbursement, Ukraine will have received 11.7 billion euros (about $13.4 billion) of the total funding.
Ukraine will also be able to use funds from the support loan to purchase U.S.-made PAC-3 Patriot interceptors, urgently needed to defend against Russian ballistic missile strikes.
The upcoming tranche is smaller than the 4.7 billion euros ($5.5 billion) previously promised by EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on Sept. 11. The smaller disbursement is the result of delays in processing Ukrainian receipts for military equipment.
A senior EU official previously told the Kyiv Independent that the disbursement would likely be lower than $5.5 billion due to this reason. Disbursements from the support loan can only be processed once Ukraine has provided receipts for cross-checking.
Zelensky and von der Leyen have also agreed to meet on the sidelines of the upcoming UNGA in New York, Zelensky said on social media after their discussion.
"We discussed the issue of funding for Ukrainian defense in great detail," the president said. "We are working on solutions to this problem and agreed to meet in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly."
World leaders will convene at the U.N. headquarters in New York from Sept. 22-28 for the organization's 81st General Assembly. Zelensky is expected to meet with multiple leaders at the event, including a potential one-on-one with U.S. President Donald Trump.
In her statement after the call with Zelensky, von der Leyen indicated that she would lobby Kyiv's non-European allies for increased support during her time at the UNGA.
"Next week, I will be at the U.N. General Assembly in New York," she said. "My message to Ukraine's friends around the world will be simple: Europe is stepping up. Now others must step up their support too."
