Zelenskyy directs immediate channeling of EU loan's first tranche to Ukraine

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine will direct the first tranche of the European Union’s new €90 billion support loan to defense, energy and winter preparation. (president.gov.ua) (en.interfax.com.ua) He said the money is intended for the army, including weapons and air defense systems, and for preparing the country for the next heating season. Zelenskyy made the remarks on April 26 alongside Moldovan President Maia Sandu in Ukraine. (president.gov.ua) (en.interfax.com.ua) The European Union’s Council finalized the loan on April 23, clearing the last legal step needed for the European Commission to begin disbursements in the second quarter of 2026. The package is designed to cover Ukraine’s urgent budgetary needs and defense industrial capacity in 2026 and 2027. (consilium.europa.eu) The split is heavily weighted toward defense. The Council said €60 billion is earmarked for defense industrial capacity and procurement, while €30 billion is set aside for macroeconomic and budget support. (consilium.europa.eu) (ec.europa.eu) The Commission had already started preparing the first defense purchases on April 1. It said the first product schedule under the loan would focus on drones, and proposed mobilizing €45 billion for Ukraine by Dec. 31, 2026. (enlargement.ec.europa.eu) (ec.europa.eu) Under the Commission’s 2026 plan, up to €16.7 billion would go to budgetary support and €28.3 billion to defense industrial capacity. The Commission also approved a derogation for urgent drone procurement that can include more than 35% non-European content. (ec.europa.eu) Zelenskyy linked the financing push to Ukraine’s long war footing and to the strain on its energy system, which has been repeatedly targeted by Russia. On April 26, he also used the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster to argue that Europe needs a coordinated response to Russian threats around nuclear and energy infrastructure. (president.gov.ua 1) (president.gov.ua 2) Standing with Sandu, Zelenskyy said Ukraine and Moldova are working to have all European Union accession clusters opened as soon as possible. He said both countries “deserve to be part of a strong, united Europe.” (president.gov.ua) The loan still comes with conditions. The Council said funding is tied to rule-of-law and anti-corruption requirements, even as Brussels frames the package as urgent wartime support. (consilium.europa.eu) For Kyiv, the immediate point is speed: get the first tranche in, buy weapons, shore up air defenses, and harden the grid before winter returns. (en.interfax.com.ua) (consilium.europa.eu)