EU Commission chief reiterates support in phone call with Ukrainian leader

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed Brussels' support for Ukraine on Monday in a phone call with the country's president.

"In the first call of the new year with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, I conveyed my wholehearted support and best wishes for 2023 to the Ukrainian people," von der Leyen said on Twitter.

Vowing that the EU would stand with Ukraine for "as long as it takes," she said the bloc supports Kyiv in its war with Russia, describing the conflict as a "fight for freedom and against brutal aggression."

"We are supporting you through this winter with generators, light bulbs, shelters, school buses. And we continue our strong financial assistance. Soon we'll start disbursing our €18 billion ($19.2 billion) support package in monthly tranches," von der Leyen added.

Responding on Telegram, Zelenskyy thanked von der Leyen for the EU's "unwavering support" for Kyiv.

"We are waiting for the first tranche of macro-financial aid in January, the first batch of energy-saving lamps, school buses, generators and modular houses.

"We have coordinated steps on the EU-Ukraine Summit. We feel support and are moving towards victory together," Zelenskyy said.

On Dec. 10, the European Council adopted an assistance package aiming to enable the EU to help Ukraine financially throughout 2023 with €18 billion, which was later approved by the European Parliament on Dec. 14.