00:00Ukraine has received 3.2 billion euros as the first disbursement under the European Union's 90 billion euro support loan,
00:08Assela von der Leyen has announced.
00:10The announcement at the Poland-Ukraine conference on Thursday marks a turning point in a six-month political struggle to
00:17get the loan off the ground.
00:19The monies will help cover Kyiv's budgetary gaps and guarantee financial stability.
00:24And indeed today we are transferring the first tranche under this loan, dear Julia, more than 2, it's exactly 3
00:34.2 billion euros in microfinancial assistance.
00:38So you're right, I'm happy and proud to announce this disbursement today.
00:42A second disbursement dedicated to drone production and worth about 6 billion euros is expected to be unveiled in the
00:51coming days.
00:52The 27 EU leaders agreed on the extraordinary assistance package in December after an inventive proposal to tap into Russia's
01:00immobilized assets fell apart at the 11th hour.
01:04The news of the disbursement comes as Ukraine enjoys renewed momentum on the battlefield against Russian troops and as Moscow's
01:12war machine shows growing strain.
