Diplomatic information revealed that the European Union is preparing to intensify its political pressures on Britain, Canada, and several international partners, aiming to increase their financial and military contributions to Ukraine, amid a projected funding shortfall reaching 70 billion euros by 2027.
The newspaper "Politico," citing five European officials and two diplomats, reported that Brussels intends to address the issue of Ukraine’s funding at the highest political levels during the upcoming summits with Canada and Britain, the first of which is scheduled for October 29-30, and the second on November 20.
These moves come amidst European concerns about rising war costs and declining U.S. contributions, prompting the EU to seek to broaden the base of contributing countries to cover Kyiv's financial and defense needs.
For his part, European Commissioner for Economic Affairs, Valdis Dombrovskis, confirmed that financing Ukraine in 2027 was one of the main topics he discussed during meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Bangkok, emphasizing the need to distribute financial burdens more broadly among international partners.
Previously, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated that the EU and its member states provide about 80% of foreign aid to Ukraine, urging international partners to increase their contributions.
According to information, Brussels had expected to receive additional contributions worth 45 billion euros from international partners, including Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Norway, but a significant portion of the anticipated funding has yet to arrive.
The European efforts are not limited to Britain and Canada; Brussels is also working to convince Japan and Australia to increase their financial support for Ukraine, coinciding with EU ambassadors preparing to discuss the arrangements for the upcoming summits and the possibility of including Kyiv's financial needs in the consultations.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that the EU does not intend to directly link trade privileges or defense cooperation to the level of aid provided, but seeks to make funding Ukraine a priority in its relations with international partners.
These moves come at a time when European governments are facing disagreements over funding mechanisms for Ukraine and the use of frozen Russian assets, alongside increasing pressures related to defense and energy spending.
Belgium is prominent in this issue as it hosts the financial institution "Euroclear," which holds the majority of frozen Russian sovereign assets within the EU.
So far, no new financial agreement has been announced with Britain or Canada, or confirmed additional commitments to address the expected shortfall, while European movements remain within the framework of consultations and diplomatic preparations.