The European Commission has approved the transfer of the last tranche of this year's macro-financial assistance programme to Ukraine, which will support the government's financial stability.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, recalled at a press conference after the EU summit that one and a half billion euros of the amount allocated for Ukraine has not yet been transferred to Kyiv.

"In the coming days, we will transfer €1.5 billion, the last tranche in this year's programme," she said. The transfer of funds from the IMF is subject to certain conditions, but the programme for Ukraine is aimed at maintaining budget stability during the war.

A macro-financial support package totalling €18 billion was envisaged for the year, of which €16.5 billion has already been transferred to Kyiv.

Ursula Von der Leyen believes that this amount will help Ukraine hold out until the EU approves a new programme worth €50 billion. "This will help finance the costs in early 2024 by creating a small but important bridge," she explained.

As reported by European Pravda, the approval of the €50 billion programme was delayed due to Hungary's veto. However, the European Commission claims that the money to help Ukraine is available, and a "working decision" is needed to approve the programme.

Read more about it in the article "Orbán's defeat or victory for Ukraine. Why is EU summit historic?"