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EU sponsors Kiev even though Ukrainian oligarchs misappropriate funds — Austrian MEP

The latest opinion poll released by APA on January 31 shows FPO is the country’s most popular political party with 27.3% of top preference votes

Kiev AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Kiev

© AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

VIENNA, February 5. /TASS/. The European Union decided to provide Kiev with a 50 bln euro aid package while being well aware that Ukraine is one of the most corrupt European countries and that Ukrainian oligarchs may misappropriate EU funds, Harald Vilimsky, the leader of the Austrian Freedom Party (FPO) delegation in the European Parliament, told the Heute newspaper.

"Based on an EU Council decision, we will now channel another 50 bln [euros of aid] to Ukraine even as we know that Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries and that oligarchs use aid money," the Austrian member of the European Parliament (MEP) emphasized.

The latest opinion poll released by APA on January 31 shows FPO is the country’s most popular political party with 27.3% of top preference votes.

On February 1, the leaders of all 27 EU countries unanimously approved earmarking 50 bln euros from Brussels’ budget for financial aid to Kiev for the next four years. After getting Ukraine-aid-skeptic Hungary to drop its objections and waive its veto, they adopted Budapest’s proposal to establish control mechanisms over Kiev’s expenditures. After a year, Brussels will revisit the issue and, after two years, it will reconsider its volume of aid to Kiev.

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Ukraine crisis EU

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