The European Union is to send Ukraine €1 billion ($1 billion) in loans as financial aid to shore up the country’s state amid the Russian invasion, EU finance ministers agreed on Tuesday.

“This will give Ukraine the necessary funds to cover urgent needs and ensure the operation of critical infrastructure,” Czech Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura said in a statement.

A meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels chaired by Mr Stanjura gave the green light to the financial package.

The loans are part of European Commission proposals from May to provide up to €9 billion in financial aid until the end of the year to Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.

The €1 billion agreed on Tuesday will help the Ukrainian state meet general costs like paying wages and keeping hospitals and schools open, among other things.

The latest financial aid package – issued as a long-term loan on favourable terms – brings the total economic assistance to Ukraine to €2.2 billion, excluding military and humanitarian aid support.

In February, just days before Russia attacked Ukraine, the EU agreed to issue Ukraine €1.2 billion in loans as macro-financial assistance.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter that the financial support could reach Ukraine before the end of July. 

(dpa NAN)