KYIV, July 17 – The European Commission on Wednesday approved the allocation of the first regular tranche of EUR 4.2 billion of budget support to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility and expects an early final decision from the EU Council, according to a press release from the European Commission.

"Despite all the hardship, Ukraine is taking forward key reforms for its recovery and to advance on its EU path. This paved the way for the Commission's green light of an additional payment of close to EUR 4.2 billion to Ukraine, and I trust the Council will now quickly agree," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the press release.