European Union leaders have agreed to provide Ukraine with a bridge loan drawn from unused budget funds, a stopgap measure Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis hailed as a vital signal of continental solidarity.
Speaking after the summit, Mr. Mitsotakis said the loan avoids immediate fiscal impacts on member states while legal experts continue to debate the use of frozen Russian assets.
"Europe stands firmly by its side," he told reporters, stressing that the deal covers Kyiv's immediate financing needs.
However, the prime minister warned of looming battles over the EU’s next long-term budget. With defense spending rising, Mr. Mitsotakis vowed to protect cohesion funds and agricultural subsidies, noting that a "critical mass" of nations opposes cuts to these core pillars.
He indicated that Cyprus, which assumes the EU presidency in January, will likely present initial allocation proposals.
On foreign policy, Mr. Mitsotakis announced plans to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
He positioned Athens as a mediator capable of moving the region from a "fragile ceasefire" toward a broader peace plan, leveraging Greece’s strategic ties with both sides.
Turning to domestic unrest, Mr. Mitsotakis urged striking farmers to end road blockades that threaten to disrupt the Christmas holiday.
While promising dialogue, he called on lawmakers to pass a controversial reform of the agricultural payments agency, OPEKEPE, arguing it ensures subsidies reach "those who actually deserve them" rather than vanishing into bureaucratic opacity.