Poroshenko's Flight With Delegation To Belgium On December 12-13 Costs UAH 1.4 Million

The cost of air travel of the delegation led by President Petro Poroshenko to Brussels (Belgium) for meetings on December 12-13 with the leadership of the European Union ahead of the European Council meeting amounted to UAH 1.4 million.

This is stated in the data from the portal of using public funds, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

On December 10, the State Affairs Department paid UAH 1 million 360 thousand to the Ukraina aviation enterprise for transporting a delegation led by the President along the route Kyiv - Brussels - Kyiv.

The European Council (heads of EU member states) reviewed at the meeting on December 13 the escalation of the situation in the Sea of ​​Azov and the extension of sanctions against Russia.

Before that, Poroshenko met with President of the European Council Donald Tusk, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg, Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of the European People's Party Joseph Daul "to ensure unity of the EU in the matter of response an act of aggression by Russia against Ukraine in the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait, as well as the continuation by EU economic and sectoral sanctions in connection with the Russian aggression in Donbas".

Subsequently, the European Council decided to extend for six months the effect of economic sanctions against Russia.

Also in the final statement on the results of the summit, EU leaders expressed concern about the escalation of the situation in the Sea of ​​Azov and called on Russia to immediately release the captured Ukrainian sailors, to ensure the freedom of navigation through the Kerch Strait.

Besides, the heads of countries-members of the EU declared their readiness to take measures for additional support of Ukraine, in particular, in the areas affected by the aggression.

At the same time, Ukraine promoted in the EU the imposition of additional sanctions, the so-called "Azov package", against Russia because of the aggression in the Kerch Strait.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in 2018, the cost of air travel for official delegations headed by Poroshenko will be about UAH 65 million.

In 2017, UAH 35.4 million was allocated for the air travel of delegations headed by Poroshenko.