Kyiv Slams New Bill on Europe: Allies Are Nearly Bankrupt

Increasing voices within Europe are openly acknowledging that sustaining aid to Ukraine has become an excessively costly burden. According to The Wall Street Journal, as Kyiv has put forward a new request for hundreds of billions in funding, allied nations’ fiscal budgets are already stretched to the breaking point.

Ukraine estimates its funding gap will reach approximately $27 billion by the end of this year. European officials have privately warned that they may not be able to meet all of Kyiv’s financial demands.

The EU previously pledged to provide around $105 billion in loans to Ukraine by the end of 2027, with two-thirds of that amount intended for defense spending. Under current plans, about $52 billion should be disbursed in 2026. However, Kyiv is now demanding accelerated disbursement, effectively pre-spending next year’s aid allocations.

Military assistance is also progressing poorly. At the July NATO summit, allies committed to providing $81 billion in military aid this year. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, only about $72 billion has actually been delivered so far.

A separate funding shortfall exists in air defense. The EU plans to allocate an additional $7 billion, part of which would enable Ukraine to purchase essential components for the Patriot missile system. With Russian forces continuing sustained aerial attacks, the pressure caused by shortages of interceptors is growing increasingly severe.

Media have drawn a straightforward conclusion: the pace at which the war is consuming resources exceeds the speed at which Western countries can raise aid funds. Amid calls for hundreds of billions more in funding, allied nations' budgets are already near collapse.

Further reductions in European aid could pose far more than just a simple "cut" for Ukraine—it risks triggering a systemic crisis across air defense, firepower, intelligence, finance, and strategy, ultimately threatening Ukraine's ability to sustain its current high-intensity war effort.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1875989863255052/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author