<\/p>\n
Ukraine will be able to buy military equipment from non-European suppliers when it is given access to a \u20ac90bn (\u00a378bn) EU loan later this year under a proposal outlined by the EU executive.<\/p>\n
The European Commission<\/a> on Wednesday published detailed proposals to lend Kyiv \u20ac90bn, but said an alternative plan based on using Russia\u2019s frozen assets remained on the table.<\/p>\n The idea of an EU loan for Ukraine emerged last month, after EU leaders failed to agree on an alternative option of using Russian frozen assets to raise the funds.<\/a> At a summit in December, 24 of 27 EU member states agreed to borrow on capital markets for Kyiv, securing the loan against unallocated funds in the EU budget.<\/p>\n This loan would be repaid by Ukraine only if Russia<\/a> pays Kyiv reparations for the immense damage inflicted during the full-scale invasion that is approaching its fourth anniversary.<\/p>\n Presenting the proposal to reporters on Wednesday, the European Commission\u2019s president, Ursula von der Leyen<\/a>, said Russia showed no sign of remorse or seeking peace and had intensified strikes on Ukraine during Christmas, killing civilians and hitting energy infrastructure. \u201cWe all want peace for Ukraine. And for that, Ukraine must be in a position of strength,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Von der Leyen, who had championed the alternative reparations loan plan, said that idea remained on the table. \u201cWe reserve the right to make use of the Russian immobilised assets,\u201d <\/strong>she said stressing the EU\u2019s decision to freeze indefinitely \u20ac210bn Russian assets inside the EU.<\/a><\/p>\n Under the current proposal, Kyiv would get \u20ac60bn to fund military spending and \u20ac30bn in general budget support to keep Ukraine running. The commission is aiming for Kyiv to receive the first tranches of cash in April, but the legal texts must first be approved by EU member states and the European parliament.<\/p>\n Payments would also be linked to Ukraine\u2019s respect for the rule of law and anti-corruption efforts, a key condition laid down by EU leaders last month after a wide-ranging Ukrainian investigation into graft that caused the resignation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy\u2019s chief of staff.<\/a><\/p>\n