Ukraine Says Did Not Receive Over $17 Billion from Fundraisers

Ukraine said Monday that it had not seen the 16 billion euros ($17.4 billion) in proceeds from two donor conferences held in Poland in 2022, early in Russia's invasion. 

The announcement comes amid worries in Kyiv surrounding military and financial support, with the war entering its third year. 

The two events in 2022 had raised 10 billion and six billion euros, respectively, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told a press conference. 

“Ukraine received nothing from them. The funds were raised by Poland together with the European Commission to support Ukraine,” he said.

“Where did they go, what did they support... Ukraine has received nothing,” he added.

In April 2022, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen announced that a global pledging event for Ukrainian refugees in Warsaw had raised 10.1 billion euros.

A separate event held in the Polish capital the following month raised over 6.3 billion euros, also with the European Union's backing, the Polish government said at the time.

Ties between staunch allies Poland and Ukraine have frayed in recent months amid a dispute over grain imports and a blockade on their shared border led by Polish farmers.

Kyiv has warned it desperately needs more military and financial assistance as it waits for a fresh $60 billion package of US aid held up in Washington.

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Shmyhal earlier urged Western countries to speed up the handover of confiscated Russian assets to Ukraine, as it seeks to rebuild from over two years of war.