The World Bank announced a $1.2 billion loan to Ukraine with guarantees from the Japanese government.
According to a statement published by the World Bank press office on Thursday, resources are allocated to support 29 social programs to help the Ukrainian population.
The statement indicated that the loan is granted within the framework of the ADVANCE Ukraine Fund, and is considered "part of the international support package for Ukraine aimed at meeting its financial needs in 2024."
The resources are scheduled to be spent on supporting people with special needs, orphans, students, those affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, and other classes most vulnerable to suffering.
So far, the World Bank has allocated more than $38 billion to provide “emergency financial support” to Ukraine with guarantees from many donor countries, including the United States, Japan, Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and others.
The Economist: Russia is winning the conflict in Ukraine
The Economist magazine reported that the situation surrounding the conflict in Ukraine now clearly indicates Russia's success, for multiple reasons, including the shocking lack of strategic vision on the part of Kiev and its allies.
The British weekly magazine "The Economist" explained, "The hesitation of Kiev's Western allies, and the shocking lack of strategic vision, is what makes Russia win the conflict, including the experience enjoyed by the Russian army."
The Economist stated that “the conflict may continue for many more years, but Russia, having replenished its reserves of artillery shells and increased production of drones, will be in a better position in 2024.”
She also noted that "Moscow succeeded in its assessments of the situation, avoided elite divisions and social unrest, and continues to receive significant revenues from oil sales, as Western attempts to limit the price of Russian oil have failed."
She added: "The mood in Kiev has become darker and more complex, and support for President Vladimir Zelensky has decreased, with the emergence of a major internal political conflict. Western countries, despite statements of readiness to provide long-term support to Ukraine, are growing doubts about this approach, and in both... Washington and Brussels, the process of allocating additional financial aid to Kiev has been halted, and the upcoming presidential elections within a year threaten to further complicate the situation.”
According to the magazine, “Europe is not seriously preparing for the possibility of former President Donald Trump returning to power, which may lead to the division of Ukraine’s allies. Therefore, European countries need to maintain their support for Kiev, increase arms production and provide Ukrainian forces with modern military equipment.”
The Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjártó, confirmed earlier that the NATO foreign ministers acknowledged in the Brussels meeting the failure of the Ukrainian counterattack , which did not achieve any significant results, contrary to what they expected.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated that decreased interest in the conflict in Ukraine could lead to negative consequences , and called on Western countries to do everything in their power to support the Kiev regime.