EU awaits clearer picture of Ukraine's funding needs before early €90B loan disbursement

The European Commission is not yet considering a specific amount for the early disbursement of funds to Ukraine under the EU's €90 billion loan, as it first wants a clearer assessment of Kyiv's financial needs for 2026-2027, European Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari said on Monday, Report's European bureau informs.

He said the issue was discussed during a September 7 meeting between EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi.

"The first step is to get a clear picture of the budgetary and financial situation, and then the potential second step is how to address it," Ujvari said.

The meeting covered Ukraine's financial needs for the next two years, implementation of reforms required to receive funds under the €90 billion program, and preparations for Ukraine's 2027 financial strategy.

The Ukrainian side has previously said its funding gap for this year is around $27 billion and that the financing is urgently needed.

"Before we can determine a specific figure, further discussions will be needed," Ujvari said, adding that technical-level work would continue in the coming days and weeks. The EU also intends to take into account an assessment by the International Monetary Fund.

According to Ujvari, the sides also agreed on the need to secure additional assistance from other international partners. Norway, in particular, recently pledged to provide Ukraine with $9 billion for 2027.

The EU expects to provide Ukraine with a total of $45 billion this year, Ujvari said. Of this amount, $11.6 billion has already been disbursed, with further payments expected in the coming weeks.

The use of frozen Russian assets was also discussed at the meeting. Ujvari said the Ukrainian side had presented new proposals on the issue, while Dombrovskis confirmed that it remains on the EU agenda.