Reconstruction of Ukraine: Ursula von der Leyen offers money for reforms

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Commission chief von der Leyen: “We will have to help finance the reconstruction of Ukraine anyway”

Photo: JOHN THYS / AFP

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed linking future reconstruction aid for Ukraine to reforms given the country's desire to join the EU.

"We will have to help finance the reconstruction of Ukraine anyway," said von der Leyen on Thursday in the ZDF program "maybrit illner". Then, in her view, it would make sense to say: "Yes to investments, but right away with the necessary reforms, For example, against corruption or, for example, for establishing the rule of law. Ukraine wants that too, I discussed it again this morning with President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyj."

Ukraine wants to join the European Union at any price, so there is a lot of motivation for the upcoming accession process.

Ukraine has already applied to join the EU and would like to join as soon as possible.

Recently, however, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) slowed down.

Accession to the EU usually takes several years from the date of application.

Von der Leyen emphasized that the course of the procedure ultimately depends on how Ukraine develops.

"It depends on Ukraine itself how it manages this reconstruction at the end of this war, which we will help with, but how it actually implements the reforms, how it gets rid of the oligarchs, how it makes the necessary economic reforms."

Economist for EU debt pot

The economist Achim Truger has spoken out in favor of financing the reconstruction of Ukraine through the common debts of the European Union.

A model similar to the Corona reconstruction fund could also make sense for the planned financial support for Ukraine, Truger told the newspapers of the Funke media group.

The member of the Advisory Council for the assessment of overall economic development considers such an instrument to stabilize the economy to be economically justifiable.

"Although sums of 500 billion euros sound gigantic, in relation to the economic output of the EU it is only a good three percent," said the economist.

Joint borrowing by the EU also entails fewer risks than uncoordinated national borrowing, “also because it strengthens trust in the EU and the ability to act together”.

mike/dpa