The Digester
Week 7, Thursday

European Parliament approves €90 billion loan to Ukraine

Parliament backed the emergency package 458-140-44 to fund two years of Ukraine’s budget and military needs, with payments expected to begin after European Council sign-off in April.

  • The loan totals €90 billion and covers about two thirds of Ukraine’s needs for 2026 to 2027.
  • €30 billion is earmarked for budget support and €60 billion for military spending.
  • The parliamentary vote was 458 in favor, 140 against, and 44 abstentions.
  • The European Council must formally sign off before payments can start, with disbursements expected from April.
  • EU leaders say this is the first time the bloc will directly spend such a large sum on defense and aim to better integrate Ukraine’s defense industry with the EU