The European Commission sees no financial gap in Ukraineʼs needs for 2026

The European Commission said that the funds that the EU has already earmarked for Ukraine should be enough to cover its budgetary and defense needs until the end of 2026. At the same time, Brussels has not yet determined the final amount that Ukraine will need in 2027.

This was stated at a briefing in Brussels by European Commission spokespeople Paula Pinho and Balazs Ujvari, a Babel correspondent reports.

“We never said there was a funding gap. We heard about it from [media] reports. Yesterday, we concluded with our Ukrainian partners that there is no funding gap,” said Pinho.

According to her, the European Commission had not previously confirmed the information about the deficit because it initially wanted to discuss the needs directly with the Ukrainian side.

Balázs Ujvari reported that yesterdayʼs meeting between the Ukrainian delegation and representatives of the European Commission was a continuation of the talks between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which took place in New York.

The parties, in particular, identified sources to cover Ukraineʼs budgetary and defense needs until the end of 2026. Balázs Ujvari explained that the EU is guided by the financial strategy approved by the EU Council for 2026. It provides for the payment of €45 billion within the Ukraine Support Loan, distributed between three financial instruments.

"Thatʼs what weʼre focused on right now and we intend to reach that number," Ujvari said.

At the same time, the European Commission stated that it has already begun to determine Ukraineʼs additional budgetary and defense needs for 2027.

"We never said we wanted to do this alone," Ujvari said, stressing that the EU was counting on other partners.

According to him, the European Union had offered a loan of €90 billion, and partners should help increase the total amount of financing to €135 billion.

He also reported that Ukraine and the EU have agreed to hold such meetings monthly. Who exactly will represent the parties and at what level the negotiations will take place has not yet been finally determined.

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