ISTANBUL

European Council President Antonio Costa announced Sunday the continuation of humanitarian, economic and military support to Ukraine, including an additional €4.2 billion ($4.4 billion) to support the Ukrainian budget.

Costa, who has just taken office and made his first visit to Kyiv, spoke at a press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We come here to say directly to the Ukrainian people: we have stood with you since the very first day of this war of aggression, and you can count on us to continue to stand with you. These are not just words. We will continue giving humanitarian, economic, diplomatic, military and energy assistance,” he said.

“This month, the European Union will provide Ukraine with an additional €4.2 billion to support the Ukrainian budget. On top of this, starting next month, we plan to provide, for a full year, every month, €1.5 billion in assistance. This money comes from the proceeds of Russia’s frozen assets and can also be used for military purposes,” he added.​​​​​​​

Costa reiterated that Ukraine is part of the European family and that he looks forward to seeing Ukraine as a member of the EU.

*Writing by Efe Ozkan