Minister of Finance at the meeting with the Ambassador of Ukraine: "We stand for you in all possible formats"
Minister of Finance Taurimas Valys at today’s meeting with Ambassador of Ukraine Olha Nikitchenko again emphasized that financial, military and political support for Ukraine is one of the most important goals of this Government and it will be one of the key priorities of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
“The security of Ukraine is inseparable from the security of Europe. A strong, resilient and prosperous Ukraine is essential for lasting peace and stability across our continent”, Mr T. Valys said at the meeting.
According to the Minister, admiring the endurance, determination and courage of the Ukrainian people in defending their country and European values in extremely difficult circumstances, together we must learn, take over the experience of Ukraine and further strengthen cooperation in the fields of defence industry development, military training and advanced technologies.
Lithuania, which will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) from January 2027, sees strong support for Ukraine as one of the most important priority areas. "The economic and financial consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and EU support measures will continue to be a permanent item on the ECOFIN agenda", the Minister of Finance assured.
According to the Minister, the current financial support measures for Ukraine cover the period until the end of 2027 and will not be sufficient to meet the growing financing needs. For the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), starting in 2028, there is an ambition to reach an agreement by the end of this year. In the negotiations, we aim to provide Ukraine with sufficient funding to fight the Russian aggression, ensuring that a significant part of support consists of non-repayable support. Should the political discussions on the MFF continue in 2027, Lithuania would consistently defend its position on sufficient and sustainable support for Ukraine during the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Lithuania has already provided over EUR 1.9 billion in bilateral and multilateral support to Ukraine, including measures by the EU and international financial institutions. In the Minister's opinion, it is extremely important to continue financial diplomacy in order to draw the attention of international financial institutions in various formats and encourage them to provide Ukraine with timely, uninterrupted support, to which Lithuania also contributes.