Ukraine war live updates: EU agrees $54 billion aid package

Ukraine war live updates: EU agrees $54 billion aid package for Kyiv; Orban says Hungary’s funds excluded from deal

Holly Ellyatt

This is CNBC’s live blog tracking developments on the war in Ukraine. See below for the latest updates. 

EU leaders on Thursday agreed a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) aid package for Ukraine, European Council President Charles Michel said on social media, overcoming weeks of opposition from Hungary.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the deal included a “control mechanism,” which guaranteed that funds from Budapest would not end up in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi is expected be dismissed from his post “within days,” CNN reported Wednesday, citing sources.

Zaluzhnyi, popular with the public but more problematic for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid a rift between the leaders, was widely reported to have been called to a meeting at the president’s office on Monday and was asked to step down. He reportedly refused, and a source told CNN that a presidential decree could be issued by the end of the week to dismiss the military commander.