Zelensky directs €90bn to defense

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine will use the first tranche of the European Union’s €90 billion loan to build more weapons at home. (en.interfax.com.ua) Speaking in Kyiv on April 26, Zelensky said the first money would go to domestic defence production, including drones and the wider military technology sector. (en.interfax.com.ua) (www.yahoo.com) He said a second priority is energy protection before next winter, after repeated Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power system. (newsukraine.rbc.ua) (lapresse.us) The money became real this week. On April 23, the Council of the European Union said it had adopted the final legislation for the €90 billion package agreed by leaders in December 2025. (consilium.europa.eu) The Council said the loan is meant to cover Ukraine’s urgent budget needs and defence industrial capacity in 2026 and 2027, with disbursements starting as soon as possible in the second quarter. (consilium.europa.eu) At the same Kyiv appearance, Zelensky and Moldovan President Maia Sandu urged the European Union to open accession negotiation clusters for both countries without delay. (www.kyivpost.com) (radiomoldova.md) Sandu said Moldova and Ukraine had met the conditions to move forward, and she linked their European path to regional security on the 40th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster. (www.kyivpost.com) (radiomoldova.md) European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said on April 21 the first loan disbursement is expected at the end of May or in early June. (www.msn.com) (www.yahoo.com) That leaves Zelensky trying to turn a newly approved European funding line into more drones, more protected power infrastructure and a steadier winter outlook before the first euros arrive. (en.interfax.com.ua) (consilium.europa.eu)