In total, this is even an amount of 66 billion euros. “There is also the money that is not only for Ukraine itself, but also for migration problems and rising interest costs.”
But, warns Cats, the money isn’t there yet. ‘It is a proposal and the question is whether the Member States will accept the full amount. At the end of last year, Hungary was uncomfortable when it came to the 18 billion Ukraine will receive from the EU this year.’
Although Cats expects that they will approve the main amount, which is intended for Kiev itself. ‘Overall it can be seen that EU member states find it very important and want to help Ukraine with the huge problems.’
The text continues below the photo.
Salaries and pensions
The money should be used mostly for current affairs. “Think about paying salaries to government employees and paying pensions,” Cats says. “But also to keep schools and hospitals open”.
It is not necessarily intended for reconstruction. This too will cost hundreds and hundreds of billions of euros, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. In this respect, this is truly a drop in the ocean.’
Follow all the developments in our live blog