Ukraine still needs $20 billion to cover defense funding gap, PM says
Ukraine still needs to secure $20 billion with the help of international partners to fund drones, missiles, military equipment and other defense needs in 2026, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said, as the government works to cover a $27 billion defense budget shortfall.
The government plans to find about $7 billion domestically through spending cuts, optimization and the reallocation of state funds, Koretskyi said in an interview with Ukraine's national telethon.
Military pay and support for service members' families will continue to be funded in full.
The remaining $20 billion is needed to provide Ukraine's Defense Forces with drones, missiles, equipment and other weapons, according to the prime minister.
Koretskyi said the Defense and Finance ministries were working with Ukraine's international partners to determine how those programs could be financed.
The government will also suspend nonessential and noncritical spending until additional funding from foreign partners arrives. Pensions and salaries for teachers and medical workers will continue to be paid on time and in full, Koretskyi said.
The prime minister said the government expects to adopt by October 15 all decisions required to secure international financial assistance and urged lawmakers to support legislation on which the funding depends.
Ukrainian officials have previously attributed the $27 billion defense funding gap to the rising cost of the increasingly technology-intensive war and to the Defense Ministry using funds allocated for the second half of 2026 to cover spending earlier in the year.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that without additional funding, Ukraine may be unable to pay in October for drones scheduled for delivery in January and February, potentially creating serious challenges for the military this winter.
Koretskyi said the government is also working to ensure that all necessary expenditures for 2027 are fully funded.