EU Presses Canada and UK for More Ukraine Aid as Doomsday Clock Ticks on Funding Gap
The EU is pressing Canada and the UK to increase financial and military support for Ukraine to help close a €70 billion funding gap for 2027 amid rising costs from intensified Russian attacks and uncertain U.S. backing, as the doomsday clock ticks on the shortfall.
EU Seeks Greater Contributions from Canada and UK
The EU is preparing to persuade Canada and the U.K. to increase their support for Ukraine as part of efforts to plug the €70 billion funding gap Kyiv faces next year. The EU-Canada summit on Oct. 29-30 and the EU-U.K. summit on Nov. 20 will give Brussels a chance to make the case at the highest level. [1] With Kyiv’s financing needs rising and U.S. backing uncertain, Brussels is increasingly looking to non-EU allies to contribute more, according to five EU officials, including two from the European Commission, and two EU diplomats. [1] The EU has committed to a €90 billion loan for 2026 and 2027, intended to cover about two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs. [1] Brussels had expected other partners — including Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Norway — to provide another €45 billion, but much of that money has been slow to arrive as other governments have yet to firm up or disburse the support Brussels expected. [1] The EU and its member countries provide 80 percent of Ukraine’s external aid, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. [1] “We urgently need other partners to step up.” [1] The EU has also raised Ukraine’s 2027 financing needs at meetings of the International Monetary Fund, the G7 and the G20, as well as with Gulf Cooperation Council countries. [1] “During my meetings in Bangkok, the need to secure financial support for Ukraine in 2027 was a prominent topic,” European Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told POLITICO. [1] He said he called for “broad burden sharing and stressed the importance of international partners each doing their part as Ukraine continues fighting Russian aggression.” [1] All the EU officials and diplomats stressed that the push was not a criticism of the U.K. or Canada, both of which are strong supporters of Ukraine. [1] The U.K. says it has committed a total of £25 billion for Ukraine and Canada has promised the equivalent of €5.4 billion in military assistance and €8.2 billion in direct financial support. [1] The EU and its member countries say they have contributed over €231 billion since Russia’s full-scale invasion. [1]
Rising Costs and Uncertain U.S. Support
The projected 2027 bill has grown as Russia intensifies its assault, the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran drives up costs and Washington shifts toward positions more favorable to Moscow — leaving Europe and other allies to shoulder more of the cost of keeping Kyiv afloat. [1] How to meet Ukraine’s financial needs has become “a central discussion in every single meeting” with partners supporting Kyiv, a Commission official said. [1] The push to secure Ukraine’s financial needs comes as support for Kyiv will be tested in a series of elections across Europe next year. [1] In France, far-right front-runner Marine Le Pen has vowed to end aid if elected president in 2027, while in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni faces a challenge from Russia-friendly Roberto Vannacci ahead of next year’s election. [1] The looming votes, combined with the unpredictability of Washington’s backing for Kyiv, mean European countries need to look beyond their own budgets, the senior diplomat said. [1] “We need to think wider and broader.” [1] The EU is also urging the Ukrainian government to secure more support from non-EU backers. [1] “This is the first next step that they need to secure from their partners,” the Commission official said. [1]
Starlink Restrictions Ordered by Musk
A recent slowdown of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system that enables Ukraine to fend off deadly Russian aerial assaults came from an order by Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive officer, The Wall Street Journal reported. [2] Musk restricted the speed of Ukraine’s access to the satellite system, which hampered the ability of the country’s drones to carry out defensive and offensive missions, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed American officials and others. [2] Musk discussed the Starlink decision with U.S. President Donald Trump after the shortfall became publicly known, according to the Journal. [2] The Journal also reported that a person familiar with the matter said Musk, a Trump ally, had talked about the Starlink slowdown with administration officials before it went into effect. [2] Trump has faulted Ukraine for a rise in diesel fuel costs, and demanded the country end its strokes on Russian refineries. [2] The bulk of the rise this year in diesel and retail gasoline costs came after the president’s decision to launch strikes in concert with Israel against Iran. [2] Earlier this month, Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Putin to supply the U.S. and global market with diesel. [2] That alarmed Ukraine’s supporters, including some Republican lawmakers, who pointed out that revenue from energy exports helps finance Russia’s war. [2]
U.S. Diplomatic Efforts in Oslo and Moscow
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after what a U.S. official called “constructive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Norway, as President Donald Trump said it was time for Ukraine to end the war. [3] The U.S. official said Ukraine brought forward new ideas and proposals to the Oslo talks, which also involved the leaders of Norway and Finland and European and NATO representatives, and that participants made “meaningful progress” toward a coordinated approach to engaging Russia. [3] The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the talks covered “key elements of a comprehensive peace framework,” including security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan and a broader European security architecture. [3] An official said White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff would aim to "create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations" regarding Russia and Ukraine. [3]
Zelenskyy's Assessment of U.S. Signals
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he received "positive signals" from U.S. officials following a phone call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and talks with U.S. and European representatives in Norway, as President Donald Trump pressed Kyiv to reach a settlement. [5] Zelenskyy, in an interview with Bloomberg on Sunday, accused Trump of trying to coerce his country into capitulating to Russia. [2] But at a press conference in Oslo earlier Tuesday, Zelenskyy sounded more upbeat on relations with the U.S., saying he discussed intelligence sharing and access to Starlink with special envoy Steve Witkoff. [2] “We’ve been very concrete, and the organization was very positive,” Zelenskyy said alongside leaders from Norway and Finland, who also attended the talks. [2]
Broader International Context
The EU is also pressing Japan to increase its contributions, with one senior EU official saying it was lagging in 2026. [1] A person familiar with the thinking in Tokyo pushed back on the idea that Japan was not pulling its weight, saying Tokyo had already given around $20 billion in support to Kyiv — but there could be room for more if Ukraine requested it. [1] Tokyo is also seeking assurances that Japanese companies will retain access to the EU market, following concerns the Industrial Accelerator Act’s “Made in Europe” rules could affect them. [1] Brussels, “without pointing the finger,” wants to use the run-up to the meetings to press for broader support, the senior diplomat said. [1] But the EU “won’t be pulling a Trump” and explicitly linking favorable treatment to contributions to Ukraine, they added. [1] The Commission has not set out what it will ask partners for or how any request might connect to trade and defense talks. [1]
What to watch next: EU ambassadors are set to talk about the upcoming Canada and U.K. summits tomorrow, with Ukraine funding expected to form part of the discussions.
