Plenković: The European Union has shown that it stands by Ukraine

“The European Union made a strategic decision on financing Ukraine and showed that it stands by that country,” stated Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković after the end of the meeting at the summit of the EU member states.

“I think we have made an important, strategic decision. The European Union stands by Ukraine and provided it with good financing for the next two years,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

The leaders of EU member states agreed early Friday morning to provide Ukraine with a loan of 90 billion euros for the next two years, which will be guaranteed by the European budget, without using Russian frozen assets. The decision on joint borrowing was made by consensus, with the exception of three countries, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Plenković said that this is nothing unusual.

“We have had previous situations when a country would make a so-called 'opt-out' means of not participating in it. So there was a unanimous decision, but no countries expressed reservations,” he said.

Ukraine will receive an interest-free loan of 90 billion euros, which will have to be repaid when Russia pays it war reparations.

The European Union has reserved the right to use frozen Russian assets to repay the loan, and EU leaders have mandated the Commission to continue working on it.

An agreement on a reparations loan that would use frozen Russian central bank funds was not reached due to opposition from Belgium, which is home to Euroclear, the financial institution that holds most of those assets.

Asked whether today's agreement represented a victory, Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: "I think Ukraine won."

Plenković: Croatia will have more from the next European budget than now

Croatia will have more in the next Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2028-2034 than it received in the current seven-year European budget,” Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Friday.

“According to preliminary estimates, Croatia could have around 18.8 billion euros in its envelope, which is very good and more than in the previous financial perspective,” said Plenković after the summit.

Plenković added that Croatian companies will also be able to apply for a number of horizontal programs included in the competitiveness fund.

When asked to comment on the statement and insults of Serbian Information Minister Boris Bratina, Plenković said that Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman had already reacted to it.

“I have nothing to add to that. I must admit that I did not even know that Mr. Minister was there, “said Plenković.

Serbian Information and Telecommunications Minister Bratina said on the show of the pro-regime tabloid Informer that Croats must be punished for their participation in the First and Second World Wars, and especially for the events from the 1990s to the present day.

“Just like the Ukrainians, they must pay for it with territory. There is no other punishment,” said Bratina.

Source: HRT