KIEV, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday voted to ratify a loan agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, the country's Finance Ministry announced.
The ratification of the Support Loan Agreement, along with the memorandum on the EU assistance, creates the legal framework for Ukraine to receive up to 90 billion euros (104.7 billion U.S. dollars) from the EU in 2026-2027, the ministry said in a statement.
Finance Minister Sergii Marchenko said the loan would serve as an important instrument for maintaining Ukraine's macro-financial stability, financing priority budget expenditures, and strengthening the country's defense capacity amid the conflict with Russia.
Under the agreement, up to 60 billion euros will be directed toward strengthening Ukraine's defense-industrial capacity, while 30 billion euros will be allocated for the state budget, said the statement.
Ukraine expects to receive the first tranche of aid worth 3.2 billion euros within the coming weeks, said Marchenko. ■