On Thursday, March 20, the European Commission sent Ukraine an additional tranche of €1 billion. At the same time, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in a press conference that Germany's financial aid to Ukraine in 2025 will amount to €7 billion, IPN reports.

The new tranche transferred by the European Commission to Ukraine is part of the macro-financial assistance (MFA) loan and comes from frozen Russian assets in the European Union, the European Commission stated in a press release.

"With today’s payment of €1 billion, we reaffirm our strong commitment to Ukraine. We are helping the country’s economy stay on course and rebuild critical infrastructure damaged by Russian aggression," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

With this payment, the total loans granted by the EU Commission to Ukraine through MFA assistance have reached €4 billion since the beginning of the year. Discussions with Kyiv regarding future payments are ongoing.

The Commission also announced that it is ready to advance the remaining MFA funds according to Ukraine's needs, as requested by European leaders during the Special European Council at the beginning of March.

Additionally, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz informed journalists in Brussels about a recently approved amendment in the German parliament, which modified the constitution to allow funding for Germany’s defense, European cooperation, and aid to Ukraine, as reported by The New Voice of Ukraine.

"In total, it will be €7 billion. €4 billion had already been planned, and an additional €3 billion will be added," Scholz stated.

The Russian Federation has protested against the use of its frozen assets, estimated at around $300 billion, calling the actions illegal.

Photo source: FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP