Ukraine's defence minister and EU defence commissioner discuss closing 2026 budget gap
Ukraine's Defence Minister Yevheniy Khmara spoke by phone with European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius about closing Ukraine's 2026 defence budget deficit and financing needs for 2027. Khmara thanked the EU for a new 3.3 billion euro tranche under the Ukraine Support Loan, earmarked for drones and air defence.
Key points
- Defence Minister Yevheniy Khmara held a phone call with European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius.
- Topics included closing the 2026 defence budget deficit and financing needs for 2027.
- Khmara thanked the EU for a new 3.3 billion euro tranche under the Ukraine Support Loan.
- The tranche will finance purchases of drones and air defence assets.
- In August, President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated Ukraine's 2026 defence budget shortfall at 27 billion euros.
- Khmara said faster decisions and funds mean faster delivery of equipment to the battlefield.
Why it matters
The call ties Ukraine's immediate battlefield priorities — drones and air defence — to EU financial instruments under the Ukraine Support Loan, and underlines the scale of the funding challenge: an estimated 27 billion euro shortfall in planned 2026 defence spending. It also signals continued EU willingness to back Ukrainian defence outlays despite pressure on European budgets.
What happened
Ukraine's Defence Minister Yevheniy Khmara held a phone conversation with European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius focused on closing the deficit in Ukraine's defence budget for 2026 and on financing needs for 2027, and on accelerating financing for critical needs of Ukraine's Defence Forces. Khmara thanked the EU for a new 3.3 billion euro tranche under the Ukraine Support Loan, which is to be used to finance purchases of drones and air defence assets. Khmara stressed that faster decisions and faster funding mean faster delivery of equipment to the battlefield. Ukraine had received a 3.3 billion euro tranche from the EU under the Ukraine Support Loan on 18 September.
Background
Ukraine received a 3.3 billion euro tranche from the EU under the Ukraine Support Loan on 18 September. In August, President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated the shortfall in Ukraine's 2026 defence budget at 27 billion euros.