Brussels says Ukraine made 'no official request' to get EU money sooner, despite Zelensky's public plea
"Our contribution plays a major role in getting funds to Ukraine, but it is not sufficient on its own," a European Commission spokesperson said, adding that other partners must "follow suit."
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the EU to expedite its disbursement of the 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan to Ukraine on August 24 during a speech, yet his administration refrained from formally appealing to the European Commission to do so, confirmed EU spokespeople the day after. During his remarks, Zelensky highlighted Ukraine's urgent financial needs, primarily to fund the necessary weaponry for negotiations with Russia.
He disclosed a projected 23.5 billion euro ($27.4 billion) deficit in 2026, even after accounting for EU financial assistance, and requested Brussels to accelerate its payment schedule to bridge this funding gap. Zelensky emphasized, "We value the format of the Coalition of the Willing – it brings together countries that are ready not only to talk about security, but to act and to build real security together. Now, we have to deal with a funding gap."
The EU's loan, negotiated in April, constitutes a crucial component of Ukraine's financial stability, accounting for two-thirds of Ukraine's projected needs up until the end of 2027, encompassing both defense expenditures and the broader government budget. A European Commission spokesperson, Balazs Ujvari, stated on August 25 that no official request had been received to accelerate the disbursement of funds.
Ujvari elaborated that the EU had already allocated 22 billion euros of the 28.3 billion euros ($26 billion) earmarked for Ukraine's defense needs in 2026, following the greenlight for 6.1 billion euros ($7 billion) the previous day. He assured that additional approvals and disbursements would follow in the coming weeks, emphasizing that the EU is ramping up its operational pace in response to the urgency.
Ujvari reiterated the significant urgency of the situation, stating, "You will see in the coming weeks even more approvals, even more disbursements." The EU acknowledged the pressing need, and pledged to accelerate its assistance operations accordingly. Despite the acceleration efforts, Ukraine is estimated to remain 45 billion euros ($53 billion) short of its total requirements by year-end, a shortfall noted by the U.K, which agreed to support repayments under the existing loan but refrained from contributing to the projected shortfall.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
