Úkraína óskar eftir 27 milljörðum dala til viðbótar í ár – evrópskir embættismenn undrandi
Forseti Úkraínu sagði evrópskum samstarfsaðilum að Úkraína þurfi 27 milljarða dala til viðbótar fyrir lok ársins. Evrópskir embættismenn sögðust ekki hafa búist við svo stóru halla og eru að skoða stærð hans, orsakir og hvernig megi fjármagna hann. Úkraína hefur jafnframt leitað til Bretlands, Kanada og Japans og kallar eftir því að ESB nýti fryst rússnesk eignir í Euroclear.
Helstu atriði
- Zelenskyy sagði evrópskum samstarfsaðilum að Úkraína þurfi 27 milljarða dala til viðbótar fyrir lok ársins.
- Evrópskir embættismenn sögðust ekki hafa búist við jafn stórum halla og velta fyrir sér hvort þarfirnar séu ofmetnar.
- ESB samþykkti í apríl lán upp á yfir 100 milljarða dala, helmingur á þessu ári og helmingur árið 2027.
- Úkraína hefur einnig beðið Bretland, Kanada og Japan um að hjálpa til að loka gatinueftir.
- Átta evrópskir sendimenn telja flýtingu á greiðslum ESB-lánsins raunhæfastu leiðina til að veita Úkraínu fjármuni fljótt.
- Yfir 200 milljarðar dala í frystum rússneskum eignum liggja í Euroclear í Brussel; Belgía mótmælir upptöku þeirra vegna fordæmisáhrifa.
- Bandaríkin hafa skert fjárhagslegan stuðning við Úkraínu, sem gerir evrópskt fjármagn mikilvægara.
Hvað gerðist
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy told European partners that Ukraine needs an additional $27 billion by the end of the year. European officials said they had not expected such a large deficit and began examining the size, causes and possible financing of the gap. Some officials privately questioned whether funds are being used effectively or whether Ukraine's needs have been overstated. Ukraine's Ministry of Defence has already used part of the funds earmarked for year-end, according to the supplied information.
The deficit is reported to include spending on weapons, military salaries and payments to families of fallen soldiers. Defence spending in the first eight months of 2026 grew by more than 17% compared with the same period in 2025. Roksolana Pidlas, head of the parliamentary budget committee, said that at the start of the year a shortfall of around $7.5 billion had been expected, and that accelerated Russian attacks on Ukrainian industry and grain-export corridors cost the state roughly half of expected revenues.
Ukraine has also turned to the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan to help cover the gap, while officials in Brussels and Kyiv are weighing several options. Eight European diplomats and officials consider accelerating disbursement of the EU loan, agreed in April and worth more than $100 billion, the most realistic short-term route to extra funds, though it would reduce the amount available in 2027. Ukraine is also calling on the EU to use more than $200 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets held at Euroclear in Belgium, but Belgium has opposed confiscation because of concerns over precedent and financial stability.
Hvernig erlendar heimildir lýsa atburðinum
The available coverage highlights the surprise of European officials at the size of Ukraine's request and their questions over spending effectiveness and the justification of the needs. Officials are described as working out the exact size and causes of the deficit and how additional financing could be provided this year, while balancing support for Kyiv against domestic budgetary pressures. Belgium's opposition to confiscating Russian assets is stressed as a binding constraint on using the frozen funds held at Euroclear, and the cuts in US financial support are noted as making European funding even more critical for Ukraine.
Hvar frásögnum ber ekki saman
Sources differ on the time period over which Russian attacks cost Ukraine roughly half of expected revenues, with one account citing 2025 and another the past month alone. Estimates of the additional international assistance required by year-end also differ, with $27 billion cited in relation to the defence-budget deficit and $29.5 billion according to Roksolana Pidlas.
Baksvið
In April the EU agreed to provide Ukraine with a loan of more than $100 billion, disbursed over two years, half in 2026 and the rest in 2027. More than $200 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets are held at Euroclear in Belgium, but Belgium opposes confiscation because of concerns about precedent, political risk and financial stability. The United States has cut off its financial support for Kyiv, raising the importance of European funding, and Ukraine is also seeking help from the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan. Kyiv has not yet published a full breakdown of its short-term budgetary needs.