European officials have announced they will temporarily withhold €1.5 billion from a €4.5 billion assistance package for Ukraine, pending the country's progress on governance reforms, according to a New York Times report.
While the move could still be reversed, it signals the EU's readiness to influence Ukraine's internal affairs and has sparked speculation about waning Western backing for President Zelensky, the newspaper notes.
The funding freeze capped a turbulent week for Ukraine's leader, who has remained silent on the matter. His initial push to pass legislation weakening two anti-corruption bodies drew criticism from international partners and triggered domestic protests.
Though Zelensky later submitted new legislation to reinstate the agencies' autonomy, this did not stop the EU from proceeding with its aid suspension, the report states.