EU Approved €90 Billion Loan to Help Ukraine Purchase New Weapons

The European Union has approved a €90 billion support package for Ukraine, part of which will be spent on purchasing weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the loan will strengthen the army and ensure greater resilience for Ukraine.

On the morning of April 23, the EU Council concluded the written procedure for approving a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia.

Amendments to the EU’s long-term financial framework removed the final legal obstacle to providing Ukraine with a €90 billion loan over the current and next years.

The new, 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia was approved in the form in which it had been agreed upon back in February 2025.

The adoption of these two decisions was preceded by the arrival of Russian oil in Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, after which both countries signed off on the measures.

The European Union plans to provide Ukraine with the first tranche of a €90 billion loan in late May-early June 2026.

Funds for weapons

According to the plan, of the €90 billion to be provided in 2026-2027, two-thirds (€60 billion) will be allocated for military support.

In particular, Ukraine plans to use part of this funding to purchase Swedish Gripen fighter jets.

Ukraine expects to receive the first of 150 Swedish JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets as early as 2026.

Funds may also be allocated for the purchase of critically important equipment outside the EU.

If Ukraine urgently needs defense products that are not available in the EU or EFTA countries, special permits will be issued for purchases from other states. This will allow for faster acquisition of necessary weapons that are unavailable on the European market.