EU can provide €610m to Ukraine in next weeks

The European Union can mobilize an initial 610 million euros (838 million dollars) in loans for Ukraine “over the next weeks,” says European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, adding that 600 million euros in grants could also be provided “very fast.”The measures are part of an overall EU aid offer for the coming years that includes 1.6 billion euros in loans and macroeconomic aid; grants totalling 1.4 billion euros; and up to 8 billion euros from the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, dpa reported. The offer – parts of which require EU member states’ approval – is linked to reforms and the establishment of an inclusive government “ready to make the most of this support,” Barroso says, adding that he expects Ukraine to sign a deal with the International Monetary Fund.