MOSCOW – Officials from the Kremlin declared on Wednesday that any additional financial support provided by the European Union to Ukraine would ultimately have no impact on the ongoing conflict’s resolution and would only serve to exacerbate economic conditions within Europe itself.
A recent article by the Financial Times indicated that the EU is formulating a contingency plan to offer up to 20 billion euros (equivalent to $22.10 billion) in aid to support Kyiv.
This proposed financial initiative would bypass Hungary, which has voiced opposition to such assistance for Ukraine, thereby enabling the EU to expedite the provision of funds to Kyiv, as per the report.
In response to inquiries regarding the report, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, insinuated that EU taxpayers are growing increasingly aware of the alleged misappropriation of funds by Ukrainian authorities, although he did not provide specific evidence.
Peskov stated during a regular press briefing, “Both Europeans and Americans are already well aware of the level of corruption in Ukraine and they understand that a substantial portion of this money is siphoned off.”
He further commented, “This allocation will not alter the trajectory of the conflict in Ukraine… These funds are being distributed at the expense of the EU’s economy, which is already facing challenging times.”
Peskov emphasized that Russia will continue its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine until it accomplishes its stated objectives.
Moscow has previously justified its military actions in Ukraine as a means to ‘demilitarize’ and ‘denazify’ the nation. However, Kyiv and its allies in the West assert that Russia’s activities are an attempt to unlawfully annex Ukrainian territory.
On December 14, the EU consented to initiate discussions regarding Ukraine’s potential membership, despite the ongoing military skirmishes. Nevertheless, due to Hungary’s resistance, the EU could not reach a consensus on a 50 billion euro aid package for Kyiv.
EU leaders, who would prefer an agreement supported by all member states but also have a contingency strategy to work around Hungary, are slated to address the matter at an upcoming emergency summit on February 1.
Ukrainian authorities assert that they are actively combating corruption within the country.
Earlier in the month, Ukraine’s SBU security service, along with the Defence Ministry, reported the discovery of a fraudulent scheme involving the procurement of artillery shells, which resulted in the embezzlement of nearly $40 million.
The details were provided by Reuters, with Gareth Jones contributing to the writing and Andrew Osborn handling the editing.
The Kremlin stated that additional EU financial aid to Ukraine would not alter the conflict’s outcome and would only harm Europe’s economy. The EU is reportedly preparing a 20 billion euros funding plan for Ukraine, which would bypass Hungary’s opposition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claimed EU and US citizens are aware of corruption in Ukraine, implying aid money is misused. Despite this, the EU is considering alternative methods to provide support to Ukraine, with an emergency summit scheduled for February 1 to discuss the matter. Meanwhile, Ukraine is working to address corruption, with recent uncovering of a fraudulent artillery shell purchase scheme.
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