Negotiations on Ukraine's EU membership, new aid package from US: highlights of the day

Ukraine-EU summit

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel issued a joint statement following the Ukraine-EU summit on February 3.

The European Commission agreed to provide interim conclusions on Ukraine's progress in fulfilling the conditions for EU accession in the spring of 2023. Earlier, the EU insisted that the assessment would appear only in the fall.

Zelenskyy said that "there is an understanding that negotiations on Ukraine's membership in the European Union can begin this year."

New aid

The US Department of Defense announced a new $2.2 billion aid package for Ukraine. The package includes critical air defense and counter-drone equipment, armored vehicles, Javelin anti-tank missile systems, artillery ammunition, rockets for HIMARS, and more.

Also among the weapons for Ukraine are GLSDB high-precision long-range projectiles with a range of 150 km. The transfer of these weapons was announced by the media.

Leopard 1 from Germany

Germany has approved the supply of older Leopard 1 battle tanks to Ukraine. Earlier, Berlin had already announced the transfer of 14 Leopard 2 tanks. According to media reports, German manufacturers Rheinmetall and Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft are ready to sell 88 Leopard 1s to Ukraine.

Price restrictions on Russian oil products

EU countries agreed to set a price cap on oil products from Russia. According to media reports, the limits are $100 per barrel for oil products sold at a premium to crude oil, such as diesel fuel, and $45 per barrel for discounted products, such as fuel oil.

Aviation negotiations

Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that talks are underway with Western partners to find a platform to provide Ukraine with tactical aircraft.

"Whether it will be an F-16 or a Gripen is a matter of discussion with NATO partners," Reznikov said.

Exposing corruption

On February 3, law enforcement officials announced a number of investigations into Ukrainian law enforcement officers.

• An adviser to the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine (on a pro bono basis) was served a notice of suspicion in the case of misappropriation of over UAH 1.7 billion ($46 million) intended for the purchase of goods for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
• An employee of the technical supervision department of the Main Accommodation and Maintenance Department of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was served a notice of suspicion in the case of embezzlement of UAH 5 million ($135,390) during the construction of barracks for the military in 2017.
• One of the defendants in the criminal case of misappropriation of UAH 40 billion ($1.1 billion) by the former management of Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta was served with a notice of suspicion.
• The Security Service uncovered large-scale schemes to embezzle UAH 119.5 million ($3.2 million) of state funds allocated for the food supply of the Defense Forces.
• The deputy head of the Central Military Medical Commission of the Ministry of Defense is suspected of bribery: he allegedly offered a certificate of unfitness for service for money.
• Detectives have completed the investigation into the case of the former head of the State Fiscal Service Roman Nasirov and his advisor in the case of taking bribes totaling UAH 722 million ($19.55 million).
• The former head of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration was served with a notice of suspicion of forgery and fraud.

More news

• The Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has charged the head of the Russian private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, for encroachment on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine and waging an aggressive war. Prosecutors have also questioned two Wagner employees who are in the EU and are checking another in Norway.
• The two organizers of the parties where the girls were abused were ordered to be held in custody without the possibility of bail until April 1.