BRUSSELS, March 20. /TASS/. The EU has disbursed first tranche of 4.5 bln euro to Ukraine as part of the program for financing the country’s budget, the European Commission President Ursual von der Leyen said following her meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal.

"The Commission has just paid to Ukraine a first tranche of 4.5 billion euro from the facility. This payment, in the form of bridge financing, is crucial to help Ukraine maintain the functioning of the state in this difficult moment," she said.

The European Commission earlier announced that it intends to finance Ukraine's budget at the level of 1.5 billion euros per month, but the first tranche immediately includes the transfer of funds for three months from January to March.

Earlier, a number of Brussels experts noted that with payments at the level of 2023 - in the amount of 1.5 billion euros per month - the amount of 50 billion euros for the European Commission will not be enough until the end of 2027, the money will run out in September 2026 and the EU countries will have to seek new funding.