Bloomberg: Von der Leyen and Zelenskyy Had Tense Meeting in New York
World
Talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in New York on September 22 were tense, Bloomberg reported, citing a source familiar with the discussions. Further financial support for Kyiv was among the central issues.
According to the agency, EU representatives told the Ukrainian side that they wanted to see progress on legislation aimed at combating the shadow economy, increasing tax revenues and bringing Ukrainian law closer to EU standards before further funding is provided.
After the meeting, von der Leyen also publicly linked budget support to reform progress in the Verkhovna Rada. “There will be more defence support. And as reforms progress in the Verkhovna Rada, budget support will increase. We still have €37 billion this calendar year,” she wrote on X.
Ukraine is asking its partners to help cover an unexpected budget gap of about €26 billion and to accelerate a previously agreed €90 billion EU loan planned through the end of 2027. Bloomberg reported that EU officials dispute some of Kyiv’s calculations and believe Canada, Norway and Japan should also contribute to additional financing. The sides are expected to continue discussions in seven to ten days.
According to Kyiv’s official account, Zelenskyy and von der Leyen discussed Ukraine’s financial resilience in 2026 and 2027 and additional sanctions against Russia. Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its decision on the €90 billion loan and said the two sides had agreed to work on other mechanisms for financial support.
Sanctions were another issue raised during the talks. The Ukrainian side expressed concern about a possible increase in Russian strikes during the winter amid shortages of air-defence capabilities, as well as the EU’s lifting of sanctions on two Russian businessmen. The characterization of the meeting as tense, however, comes from Bloomberg’s source, while Kyiv’s official statement described the talks in terms of Ukraine’s financial resilience and sanctions policy.
After the meeting, von der Leyen also publicly linked budget support to reform progress in the Verkhovna Rada. “There will be more defence support. And as reforms progress in the Verkhovna Rada, budget support will increase. We still have €37 billion this calendar year,” she wrote on X.
Ukraine is asking its partners to help cover an unexpected budget gap of about €26 billion and to accelerate a previously agreed €90 billion EU loan planned through the end of 2027. Bloomberg reported that EU officials dispute some of Kyiv’s calculations and believe Canada, Norway and Japan should also contribute to additional financing. The sides are expected to continue discussions in seven to ten days.
According to Kyiv’s official account, Zelenskyy and von der Leyen discussed Ukraine’s financial resilience in 2026 and 2027 and additional sanctions against Russia. Zelenskyy thanked the EU for its decision on the €90 billion loan and said the two sides had agreed to work on other mechanisms for financial support.
Sanctions were another issue raised during the talks. The Ukrainian side expressed concern about a possible increase in Russian strikes during the winter amid shortages of air-defence capabilities, as well as the EU’s lifting of sanctions on two Russian businessmen. The characterization of the meeting as tense, however, comes from Bloomberg’s source, while Kyiv’s official statement described the talks in terms of Ukraine’s financial resilience and sanctions policy.
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