(Bloomberg) -- The European Union is considering delaying the release of €3 billion ($2.9 billion) in aid to Ukraine until early next year, EU officials said, a decision which would add to the financial strains facing the country.

The funds are the final tranche of a €9 billion package the European Commission announced in May, but disbursement has been postponed due to a clash over whether to provide the funds as grants or loans. Disagreement over whether member states or the commission should offer guarantees for money raised in the markets has also delayed the full release of the money.

The U.S. and Kyiv have criticized the EU for failing to deliver on its pledges of financial support. Ukrainian authorities told EU officials in early September that they were counting on receiving the delayed payment this year, an EU official said. 

Without that final tranche, the EU will by year-end have disbursed €7.2 billion in financial support to Ukraine since it was invaded by Russia in February. 

Commission spokesman Daniel Ferrie said that work on the final payment is still ongoing and the EU is discussing a more predictable approach for providing financial support to Ukraine in 2023.

The EU executive’s arm has committed to providing a separate package of about $18 billion out of the $38 billion in total that Ukraine has said will need for 2023. But disagreements over how to structure that instrument may also delay the announcement of the detailed plans, scheduled for Nov. 9, EU officials said.

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