EU leaders rally behind Zelenskyy as Ukraine seeks at least 70 billion euros more for 2027

European Union leaders pledged continued support for Ukraine at a summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the bloc for at least 70 billion euros in additional help next year.

Zelenskyy told leaders the war would cost Ukraine about 155 billion euros in 2027 and described his request as realistic. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin did not want peace talks "in any form" at present, according to Al Jazeera.

Commission asked for options

Leaders asked the European Commission to present ways of closing the funding gap, Euronews reported. The new request comes on top of an existing 90 billion euro EU loan covering 2026 and 2027. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen backed the estimate but said the EU would not carry the burden alone and that other Western partners should contribute.

European Council President Antonio Costa said this was no time to withdraw support from Ukraine or to ease sanctions on Russia. Von der Leyen said sanctions would not be lifted unless Russia ends the war, and that a 22nd sanctions package is being prepared. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the bloc would probably need a new loan to cover Kyiv's budget needs, while Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker urged caution over large new financial commitments.

Using frozen Russian state assets to fund Ukraine remains divisive among member states, with Belgium opposed.

Strain with Washington

The summit took place against a widening rift between Kyiv and the Trump administration. Trump had announced that Ukraine and Russia had agreed not to target each other's energy facilities, but Zelenskyy later abandoned the arrangement, saying Russia had not honoured it. Trump also called Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries a "disgrace." Zelenskyy also criticised a US arrangement for Russia to supply diesel to world markets, saying it would put more money in Moscow's hands.

In Brussels, Zelenskyy praised EU leaders as "real leaders," a remark widely read as a jab at Washington.

Other business

The summit ended without agreement on the EU's next long-term budget and with sharp differences over migration policy. France and Germany agreed on easing the 2035 ban on new combustion-engine cars in exchange for "Made in Europe" preference rules.

For India, a prolonged war and sanctions tussle keeps global energy prices volatile, with Brent crude trading above $100 a barrel this week, a direct concern for an economy that imports most of its oil.