Since 2015, Ukraine has received from the European Union, as well as from EU member states, about EUR 18 billion of assistance, which is many times higher than the amount of financial assistance provided to Kyiv by the United States in the form of loan guarantees in the amount of $1 billion, Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission on relations with Ukraine, former European Parliament deputy from Germany Elmar Brok said.
“The United States has given 1 billion on loan… The European Union has given 11 billion on loan in runs, another 3 billion has been given via international financial institutions [EUR], and alone Germany has given 1.4 billion [EUR]. So, let’s say altogether the European Union member states have given at least EUR 18 billion in the last five years. That is the real figures,” Brok said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine, commenting on accusations against the EU and, in particular, Germany and France that they are not providing enough assistance to Ukraine which was voiced during a telephone conversation between the presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.
At the same time, the European politician emphasized that a substantial part of the EUR 18 billion provided to Ukraine by the European Union and its members are grants, while Washington does not provide anything to Kyiv for free.
Brok also recalled that in addition to the amount he mentioned, the European Union also provided other assistance to Ukraine, which is stated in the agreements between Kyiv and Brussels, such as the Association Agreement and the FTA and the visa-free regime between the parties.
“The United States has not given such agreements. Look, the EU gives twenty times more to Ukraine than the Americans,” the special adviser to the president of the European Commission said on relations with Ukraine.
The U.S. Senate has adopted a draft National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which foresees the expanded assistance to Ukraine in the sphere of security and defense in 2020 compared with 2019, the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States has reported.
“The U.S. Senate has passed a draft document proposing to expand the security assistance to Ukraine to $300 million,” the Embassy said.
According to the report, this is $50 million more than the current year’s sum. The document assigns $100 million only for lethal weapons.
“It is proposed to expand U.S. assistance in strengthening the defense capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by including coastal defenses; anti-ship missiles; and systems that enhance the effectiveness of troop control, in particular, air defense and coastal defense,” the Embassy said.
According to the procedure, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2020 will come into force after it is approved by the House of Representatives, as well as signed by the President of the United States.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that the European Commission has made a favorable decision on the provision of a first tranche of the fourth macrofinancial assistance of the European Union (EU) to Ukraine in the amount of EUR 500 million and thanked the European Commission for its decision. “Sincerely grateful to the European Commission for positive decision to disburse to Ukraine first tranche of the 4th EU macrofinancial assistance program in the amount of EUR 500 mln,” Poroshenko said on its Facebook page on Friday.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting in Kyiv have agreed to provide German expert assistance to Ukraine in the privatization process of state enterprises, Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Oleksandr Sayenko has said. “We have agreed that there will be a separate expert from Germany who will work with the working group on privatization,” Sayenko said on the air of Novoye Vremia (New Time) Radio station, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers said on Saturday.
According to the minister, not many state-owned objects fall under the criteria of “large-scale privatization,” and each of them has significant problems (either toxic shareholders, or large debts, or the production process is made dependent on a particular intermediary, etc.). “Considering this, the term of preparing the objects of the “large-scale” privatization for sale will take a long time – from six months and more,” Sayenko said.
The minister recalled that today Centrenergo is the closest to the sale – the auction for the sale of the state package will be held on December 13 of the current year. “And the next year we will advance in sale of the following objects from this list,” he added
As reported, on October 29, the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPF) announced a tender to sell 78.289% of shares in PJSC Centrenergo. A tender to sell a 78.289% stake in power generating enterprise PJSC Centrenergo is to begin at 11:00 a.m. Kyiv time on December 13, 2018. The tender will take place, if at least two bidders register for the tender. The SPF also selected investment advisors to prepare 11 out of 23 objects for the sale from the list of “large-scale” privatization for 2018. In particular, the state has hired advisors with the highest reputation, including White & Case, E & Y, KPMG, BDO, Baker McKenzie.
Ukraine would calmly pass this autumn and winter thanks to the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Ukraine’s Alternate Executive Director in the IMF Vladyslav Rashkovan has said. “I am sure that we would calmly pass this autumn and next winter, including thanks to assistance from the IMF,” Rashkovan said in an interview with the Novoye Vremia magazine.
He said that Ukraine would soon receive the next tranche from the IMF under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
“I still hope that Ukraine will receive this money. I would think in terms of how it will help us to further implement the reforms that have been launched. Over the past four years it has been done more than in 23 years. The World Bank, the EBRD [the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development] and all international investors admit it, but we have lost a lot of time and we need to develop faster. The IMF is able to help us,” Rashkovan said.
Canada will issue $30 million to finance a new project of assistance to Ukraine aimed at development of entrepreneurship, Canadian Minister of International Development and La Francophonie Mandate Letter Marie-Claude Bibeau has said.
“We have announced a preliminary selection of projects from Ukrainian, Canadian and international organizations. Projects should be aimed at strengthening the role of women in economy and business. The program of assistance to Ukraine will be designed for five years,” she said asked by Interfax-Ukraine at a press briefing in Kyiv.
According to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv, currently Canada is implementing 11 international technical assistance projects in Ukraine for a total of $116.8 million.
