Von der Leyen Warns Kyiv: EU Wants Deeper Reforms Before Releasing More Money
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Volodymyr Zelensky in a tense meeting that the EU wants to see tougher action against the shadow economy, stronger tax collection and closer alignment with EU law before providing more financial support.
Ukraine is under growing pressure from Brussels to push through tougher domestic reforms in exchange for continued financial aid.
According to a report citing sources familiar with the talks, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a tense meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in which EU representatives made clear they want to see progress on new laws before sending more money.
The core message was bluntly summed up as: there will be no money without reforms. The areas flagged included legislation to tackle the shadow economy, measures to increase tax revenues and steps to bring Ukrainian law closer to European Union standards.
EU funds have become a vital support for Ukraine’s wartime budget, helping cover salaries, pensions and basic services while Kyiv directs much of its own revenue to defence. Tighter conditions on that money could force Ukrainian authorities to choose between speeding up politically sensitive reforms or facing financial strain at home.
For EU governments, tying aid to visible steps against the shadow economy and toward EU‑style rules offers a way to argue to their own voters that support for Ukraine is conditional and aimed at long‑term stability, not simply an open‑ended transfer.
Ukraine has already passed some significant reforms under outside pressure, but the latest demands target deeper structural issues that affect powerful domestic interests. Moves against the shadow economy and towards higher tax collection can improve the fiscal base and fairness over time, but they can also provoke resistance from groups that have benefited from looser enforcement.
What comes next will depend on how quickly Kyiv drafts and advances the laws Brussels is looking for, and how domestic political forces react. Concrete signals to watch include the content of new bills on tax and economic transparency, debates in Ukraine’s parliament, and any EU decisions to delay or unlock funding based on how those reforms proceed.
Sources
- OSINT