EU, Ukraine agree on means to cover budget needs for this year

That is according to a joint statement by the European Commission and Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Today, through coordinated joint efforts, we have identified the means to cover Ukraine's budget and defense needs for 2026," the parties said. They also reconfirmed the steps needed to ensure their timely release. For 2027, the parties agreed to move forward swiftly with the allocation of EUR 45 billion under the Ukraine Support Loan, subject to the established conditions. "We will also begin work on identifying additional budgetary and defense needs," the joint statement said.