Discussions during the EU-Ukraine Association Council were very good, and more support is coming - Mathernová

An exclusive blitz interview of the Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency

Text: Valerie Proshchenko

How do you assess the results of yesterday's meetings in Brussels, in particular the 10th meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council and the signing of a number of documents between Ukraine and the EU?

Yesterday was the 10th Association Council. It is the sort of a highest body that has been set up by the Association agreement that Ukraine fought for at Maidan. In other words, the Association Council is the highest governance body of the association agreement. The 10th Council is about practical integration matters and discussions of Ukrainian integration into the EU. This is an important event that is usually held once a year. We had a very good discussion.

As you know, there were several announcements for Ukraine’s support. One announcement was of an additional 1 billion disbursement under the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA).

What is also important is that this week, the European Commission will receive €2.1 billion due in windfall profits generated from immobilized assets of the Russian Central Bank, held by the Central Securities Depositories. Most of these €2.1 billion will be used for the purchase of weapons, ammunition, and air defense for Ukraine in the form of grants. In other words, we are talking about money; part of it will go to the member states to buy ammunition and air defense.

So, it’s going to be grants. And €1 billion out of that will go through the Danish model to the Ukrainian defense industry. I would like to remind you that last August, we put €400 million into the defense industry. So, this time, the EU will be giving