In a bid to help Ukraine out of its deep economic recession, the Kiev government is to get loans totalling €1.8 billion from the EU.

Helping hand: MEPs back €1.8 billion loan for Ukraine

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/11996020/n005-150319-001-enx.srt

Ukraine’s ongoing conflict  in the east of the country

have left the government heavily in debt.

Now MEPs have voted to loan Kiev  1.8 billion euros.

It is one of the biggest foreign aid packages

that the EU has ever provided  to a non-member country.

So it is not only symbolic,  it proves that Europe can muster itself

and find means to help the countries that  want to be closer to the EU, they need help.

Critics of the proposal said the loans  should come with conditions

that Ukraine tackles corruption  and the oligarch structure.

There were also concerns that Kiev  needs 40 billion euros to balance its books

and that the EU should not  keep loaning money indefinitely.

We are repeating the same mistakes  we made with Greece,

when we know they can never  repay the money we are giving them.

The money will go on balancing  the Ukrainian government’s budget.

A year and a half since the pro-Europe  Maidan protests in Kiev,

MEPs have voted to show  the EU’s solidarity with Ukraine.

There'll be a final vote to pass the proposals  at a plenary session on 25 March.