Ukraine has received €3.2 billion as the first disbursement under the European Union's €90 billion Support Loan
Today at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, Poland, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the disbursement of €3.2 billion to Ukraine as the first instalment of the new macro-financial assistance (MFA).
This money will help cover Kyiv's budgetary gaps and guarantee financial stability. A second disbursement dedicated to drone production and worth about €6 billion is expected to be unveiled in the coming days.
“This is indeed solidarity in action. It shows Europe’s support for Ukraine is here to stay,” von der Leyen added.
Several declarations important for both the European and Ukrainian economies were made on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2026) in Gdańsk, Poland.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that over 160 agreements worth €10 billion are planned to be signed during the two days of URC 2026.
"The funds will have an impact on many dimensions of regional and business development," Yulia Svyrydenko announced.
New Fund for Ukraine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the launch of the European Flagship Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine. It was jointly initiated by the European Union, Poland, France, Germany, and Italy. The fund is expected to ultimately have €1 billion available for investments in strategic sectors in Ukraine – rising to approximately €500 million in 2026.
"The money will be invested in the most strategic sectors: clean energy, infrastructure, and dynamically developing companies that will drive the Ukrainian economy in the coming decades," the EU politician said.
"European support for Ukraine is essential for the country's survival. We call on all our partners to continue their assistance, because a strong and independent Ukraine is in our interest," Ursula von der Leyen emphasized.
The European Commission president states that the EU's ambition is not only to help Ukraine and Europe, but also to support Ukraine's development and prosperity as a free, European country. This is precisely why the EU has become the largest investor there, while also sharing the Ukrainian risk. "We are helping rebuild cities, supporting the resilience of the electricity sector, and financing businesses – including those in regions on the front lines," she added.
Rebuilding Ukraine is an opportunity for the European economy
"Public capital will take on the initial risk, which will provide the stability necessary to attract investors and scale projects. The message to investors is very simple: by investing in Ukraine, you are not investing solely in Ukraine's future. You are investing in Europe and its secure future. Ukraine's reconstruction and growth are in the interest of all of us – they are in the interest of all of Europe," said the President of the European Commission.
"Ukraine is driving and transforming defense, energy, and reconstruction across Europe," says Ukrainian PM Yulia Svyrydenko. She emphasizes that last week, Ukraine opened its first negotiation cluster for accession to the European Union.
True reconstruction must focus on people – creating high-quality jobs, rebuilding the education system, providing support to veterans, people who have experienced war trauma, and other vulnerable groups." Those in need of special assistance," says European Council President Antonio Costa. Reconstruction, according to him, is about rebuilding a better Ukraine.
"We are laying the foundations for a modern, ecological, and digital economy that will strengthen the entire European continent," emphasized Antonio Costa.
Gdańsk was chosen for a reason
The city met World War II as one of the first. From 1939 to 1945, the city was severely damaged. The Soviet Red Army heavily bombed and shelled Gdańsk (then Danzig) during the East Pomeranian Offensive in March 1945. Almost 90% of the city was destroyed, and more than 80% of the buildings in the historic center were significantly damaged.
“I invited you and our friends from Ukraine to this very place because it shows that the miracle of reconstruction happens when people truly desire it, when they are able to fight for peace, when they are determined to do good” - the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated. “Gdańsk was raised from the ruins and became the best, and globally most complete, reconstruction. Not only architecturally. The city's spirit was also restored, and this great effort awaits Ukraine as well," - Tusk said.
The official part of the meeting was preceded by a closed ministerial meeting of the Donor Platform for Ukraine.
This year's program was divided into thematic sections: business, security and defense, integration with the European Union, regional development, and human capital.
The Ukraine Recovery Conference is a major international forum devoted to Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. The aim of the Conference is to strengthen international support for the reconstruction of the country, which has been fending off Russian aggression since 2022, and to stimulate investment in the Ukrainian economy.
Shadows of the past
The URC-2026 in Poland amid an unprecedented spat between Kyiv and Warsaw and increasingly strained bilateral relations. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy will skip the two-day "URC-2026" amid a deepening rift with Warsaw over the naming of a Special military unit after "UPA Heroes". In response, Polish President Karol Nawrocki announced intentions to strip Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state Order of the White Eagle.
For Poland, the UPA (the Ukrainian Insurgent Army) was accused of killing Poles in the 1940s on Volhynia ( ukr.Volyn. pol.Wolyń, before and in IIWW Polish, now Ukrainian territory), a historic region with deep Polish and Ukrainian roots. Officially, Polish historiography calls this the Volhynian Massacre. In July 2016, the Polish Sejm adopted a resolution recognising the Volyn tragedy as genocide "committed by Ukrainian nationalists against Poles".
For Ukraine, the UPA is a symbol of anti-Soviet and Anti-Nazi resistance and a heroic struggle for independence. Ukraine reminded - Ukrainians civilians were also killed in the Volyn tragedy by the Polish Home Army .
Ukrainian and Polish historians still are debating, who was to blame and how many civilians of both nationalities died.
Source: <https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_26_1452>