EU announces humanitarian aid worth $554M in response to Ukrainian crisis

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday that the bloc will provide €500 million ($554 million) humanitarian assistance to help Ukraine and refugees fleeing the war with Russia.

“We will deploy at least €500 million from the EU budget in humanitarian assistance,” von der Leyen told reporters at a joint press conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Bucharest.

She also promised more humanitarian support to Ukraine if necessary “as we need to brace for devastating consequences of this atrocious war.”

Von der Leyen said the bloc agreed with the Romanian government to set up a civil protection center in the country, and thanked Iohannis for “warmly welcoming and providing shelter” to Ukrainian refugees.

The bloc will also help non-EU countries to tackle the crisis and send humanitarian aid and medical supplies to neighboring Moldova, she added.

“Our aim is to cut off the Kremlin's capacity to wage war on its neighbors,” she said, adding that sanctions the EU adopted last week already showed their impact on the Russian economy.

The commission president said the EU may introduce new sanctions against Russia “if the situation deteriorates on the ground.”

She warned that the bloc must prepare for Russia's retaliation and diversify its energy supply by exporting more liquified natural gas (LNG) and speeding up with the introduction of renewables.

Over 1 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia launched its war on the country on Feb. 24, according to UN High Commission for Refugees.

The international community has reacted to the Russian attack with fury. The West has implemented a range of economic sanctions targeting Russian leaders, its banking sector, and key state-owned companies. Many countries have also banned or restricted Russian state media.

The EU is also considering to grant temporary protection to all Ukrainian refugees with the right to residence, education, work, and social welfare.

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling on Moscow to "immediately, completely and unconditionally" withdraw from its eastern European neighbor.

Besides Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea, and Eritrea voted in opposition. Abstentions included China, Cuba, El Salvador, India, Iran, and Pakistan.