international_relations

Ukrainian President Expects His Country to Face a Aid Shortfall of Up to 50 Billion Euros Next Year

December 18, 2025 alriyadh.com
Ukrainian President Expects His Country to Face a Aid Shortfall of Up to 50 Billion Euros Next Year

Ukrainian president expects a foreign aid shortfall between 45 and 50 billion euros next year.

SUMMARY

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted a foreign aid shortfall between 45 and 50 billion euros in 2026, warning of its impact on drone production and Ukraine's ability to conduct long-range strikes. This comes amid an EU summit in Brussels discussing the use of frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine's budget.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Predicted foreign aid shortfall for Ukraine between 45 and 50 billion euros next year.
  • Warning about reduced drone production and its impact on Ukraine's military capabilities.
  • EU summit in Brussels discusses utilizing frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine.

CORE SUBJECT

Ukraine's foreign aid shortfall and its military impact

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today predicted that his country will face a foreign aid shortfall next year ranging between 45 and 50 billion euros (equivalent to 53 to 59 billion dollars). Zelensky explained, in remarks made as European Union leaders seek to decide at their summit in Brussels on the use of Moscow's frozen assets, that if Kyiv does not receive the first tranche of a loan funded by Russian assets by next spring, it will have to significantly reduce drone production. He emphasized that this means Ukraine will have far fewer drones compared to Russia and will not be able to carry out long-range strikes on energy facilities there. Earlier today, EU leaders held a summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels to discuss ways to utilize frozen Russian assets in European banks to finance part of Ukraine's budget.

KEYWORDS

Ukraine foreign aid financial shortfall European Union frozen Russian assets drones

MENTIONED ENTITIES 4

Volodymyr Zelensky

👤 Person_Male

Ukrainian President

European Union

🏛️ Organization

Political and economic organization of European countries

Brussels

📍 Location_City

Capital of Belgium and headquarters of the European Union

Moscow

📍 Location_City

Capital of Russia