According to the state-run Ukrinform news agency, a letter from Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal was part of a concerted effort with the country’s partners. The letter, which requested an emergency meeting with international donors and was seen by Bloomberg news agency, aimed to address concerns about financial support for the country’s economy. Ukraine heavily relies on aid packages, and Kyiv has been worried about continued support as new aid packages are being blocked in the European Union and the United States.
Bloomberg reported that Shmyhal’s letter stressed the urgency of receiving sufficient, prompt, and predictable external financing starting from January 2024. The letter also urged donors to convene in January before a scheduled meeting the following month.
Ukrinform sought to allay fears, stating, “You should not panic. This is part of systemic work with partners,” based on information from a high-ranking source familiar with the situation. The unnamed source explained that the letter was sent to participants in the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform, which oversees funds for Ukraine, following a meeting on December 19 which determined that budget support would be the primary focus of their work in 2024.
Ukrinform also quoted the source as saying, “This is part of systemic work with partners.” The platform’s steering committee consists of senior officials from Ukraine, G7 countries, and the European Union.
On December 21, Shmyhal revealed that Ukraine had received the last 1.5 billion euro ($1.65 billion) tranche from the 18 billion package expected from the European Union for 2023. Looking ahead to 2024, Ukraine is hoping for 18.5 billion euros from the EU and more than $8 billion from a U.S. package, which also includes vital military assistance. However, voting on both packages has been rescheduled for the start of the next year.
The report was filed by Elaine Monaghan in Washington and Oleksandr Kozhukhar in Kyiv with writing by Elaine Monaghan and editing by Rosalba O’Brien.
