Brussels – Slovenia is expected to provide approximately 700 million euros in guarantees for a new EU loan to Ukraine, which will be funded using frozen Russian assets, as stated by Slovenian minister Klemen Boštjančič upon his arrival at the meeting of the union’s finance ministers.
Boštjančič noted that discussions are ongoing within the EU regarding the share of the 210 billion euros allocated for the loan to Ukraine that member states will guarantee, with mentions of percentages ranging from 50 to 75.
“For Slovenia, the guarantee is likely to amount to around 700 million euros,” he clarified, emphasizing that this guarantee would only be activated in “certain quite extreme cases.”
He cautioned against further delays in utilizing frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine, warning that such delays could ultimately result in higher costs for the union in the future.
The minister added that Europe has the strongest incentive to resolve the war in Ukraine swiftly, not just for security reasons but also due to various economic factors. “In financial terms, Europe is certainly stronger than Russia. There is no doubt about that,” he asserted.
On Thursday, finance ministers examined a proposal for a new 90-billion-euro loan from the European Union to Ukraine, which would also be supported by frozen Russian assets under sanctions related to Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine. The proposal, presented last week by the European Commission, stipulates that member states will provide guarantees for the loan, which would only be called upon if financial institutions in the EU holding Russian assets were required to return them to Russia. (12 December)
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