President Volodymyr Zelensky explained his position on receiving funds from Russia during a recent conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. According to him, the issue of payments from Russia as compensation to Ukraine was discussed, but in the United States, the term “compensation” is preferred over “reparations.”
This is reported by Kyiv24
“First of all, we are interested in Russia giving us money, so that it would be reparations. Americans call it not reparations, but compensations, because I think they don’t really like the word reparations, to be honest. But for us, it is important to receive money to rebuild our state.”
Financial Support from Europe and the U.S.
Zelensky emphasized that the issue of a reparative loan has already been agreed upon with European partners. Most of the frozen assets of the Russian Federation are located within the jurisdiction of the European Union. According to preliminary agreements, Ukraine could receive the first 100 billion euros over the next two years in equal installments. The President stressed that these funds would be directed towards the reconstruction of the country, provided that the peaceful situation is maintained. If defense is necessary, part of the funding may be used for defense purposes.
During the meeting with Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump noted that Russia allegedly “wants Ukraine to succeed” and could participate in the reconstruction process. These statements came against the backdrop of intensified attacks by Russia on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The EU Approved Financial Aid for Ukraine
On the night of December 19, European Union leaders agreed on a support package for Ukraine amounting to 90 billion euros, intended for the next two years. This is a loan provided from the EU budget, not a reparative loan that has been actively discussed in recent weeks. The previously proposed reparative loan involved the use of income and balances from frozen Russian assets in Europe, estimated at approximately 210 billion euros.
Russia categorically rejects the possibility of confiscating its assets and describes the potential use of these funds for the benefit of Ukraine as “theft.”