EU to seek more Ukraine funding from Canada and UK as €70 billion gap looms - Politico
The European Union plans to press Canada and the United Kingdom to increase financial support for Ukraine as Kyiv faces a projected €70 billion funding gap in 2027, Politico reported on October 21, citing EU officials and diplomats.
Brussels intends to raise the issue at the EU-Canada summit on October 29–30 and the EU-UK summit on November 20, as Ukraine's financing needs grow and US support remains uncertain.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU and its member states currently provide 80% of Ukraine's external assistance.
"We urgently need other partners to step up," she said.
The EU has committed a €90 billion loan for 2026–2027, intended to cover roughly two-thirds of Ukraine's financing needs. Brussels had expected other partners, including Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Norway, to contribute another €45 billion, but much of that funding has yet to be confirmed or disbursed.
According to Politico, EU officials are increasingly concerned about Ukraine's rising defense costs and the unpredictability of Washington's support.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously estimated that the war would cost €155 billion in 2027 and called for at least €70 billion in additional European defense assistance.
The EU has also raised Ukraine's financing needs with the International Monetary Fund, the G7, the G20 and Gulf countries.
European Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said he had called for broader burden-sharing among international partners.
Officials stressed that the initiative was not intended as criticism of Canada or Britain, both of which have provided substantial assistance to Ukraine.
Brussels is simultaneously negotiating closer economic and defense ties with the two countries, but EU diplomats said they did not expect financial support for Ukraine to become a formal condition for those agreements.
Canada has committed nearly C$26 billion in military, financial, development and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, while the UK says it has committed £25 billion since Russia's full-scale invasion.
The EU is also seeking increased contributions from Japan and other partners as it prepares for Ukraine's growing financial needs next year.