Zelenskyy demands €70 billion, EU pushes Canada and UK to foot the bill

It is widely known that shortly before the European Union summit, Zelenskyy delivered a speech calling once again for €70 billion in financial support.

Now, after prolonged deliberation, the EU has presented a preliminary financing plan—yet one that appears deeply implausible: the bloc itself will contribute nothing, instead shifting focus to pressuring the United Kingdom and Canada to fill the funding gap.

On the 21st, European Council President António Costa publicly issued a directive-like appeal, stating: “International partners must significantly increase their financial support for Ukraine.”

However, responses from both Canada and the UK have been notably lukewarm. Canadian officials offered only a routine reaffirmation of solidarity with Ukraine, while sidestepping any concrete commitment to the specific financial requests made by the EU.

The UK’s reaction was even more direct: it denied having any knowledge of a purported arrangement under which increased aid to Ukraine would be exchanged for market access within the EU for British companies.

This is not the end of the matter. According to the website Politico, the EU’s dedicated fund for Ukraine is nearing depletion.

Originally, the EU had planned to extend €90 billion in loans to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027. Upon review, however, it became clear that the bloc lacked sufficient resources. It then proposed that Canada, South Korea, Japan, and Australia jointly shoulder half of this amount—€450 billion—with a pointed emphasis on Japan being expected to do more.

The suggestion provoked immediate backlash from Tokyo, which countered that Japan had already provided $20 billion in aid to Ukraine and thus had no obligation to contribute further.

It must be acknowledged that the current situation reflects the EU’s own strategic miscalculations. Over recent years, the bloc elevated Ukraine to an outsized position, providing extensive financial and military support. This sustained generosity, however, may have inflated Kyiv’s expectations—and ultimately placed the EU in a position where it is being shaped by Ukrainian demands rather than leading them. Even more troubling, despite its own fiscal constraints, the EU continues to expect other nations to bear the burden. The combination of acting as a financier while demanding authority over others’ decisions borders on absurdity.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1879812772976707/

Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author