Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky (Archive)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the European Union is artificially delaying the allocation of approximately $8.2 billion in macro-financial assistance to Ukraine.

In a video posted on his Telegram channel, Zelensky claimed that "$8.2 billion for Ukraine are still frozen, stressing that this delay of the macro-financial support is either a crime or a mistake.

"We hope that this is a mistake and it will be corrected," Zelensky added.

On his account, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Ihor Zhovkva accused Germany of delaying the financial assistance. Berlin has denied the allegations.

As the war in Ukraine drags on, signs of distress are multiplying across Europe. It seems that Europeans are splitting regarding the long-term goals of the war in Ukraine and the price their countries are willing to pay.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier told Zelensky in a telephone conversation in May that Kiev's refusal to host him in April was a "historic insult", German newspaper Spiegel reported last July, citing sources.

It is noteworthy that in April, German news outlet Bild reported that Zelensky refused to host Steinmeier in Kiev due to his "close connections" to Russia in recent years.

Later, Steinmeier confirmed that he was advised by Polish President Andrzej Duda to take a joint trip to Ukraine with the leaders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, yet Kiev deemed it "undesirable".