EU to accelerate the disbursement of €45 billion to Ukraine amid a deepening financial crisis

EU to accelerate Ukraine's €45 billion funding

The European Union intends to speed up the disbursement of a €90 billion support loan to Ukraine, as the country faces a financial crisis amid Russia's escalation and the Black Sea blockade, Euronews reports. The loan is split equally: €45 billion for 2026, payments of which are already underway, and €45 billion for 2027. It was originally expected that the funds would be distributed until the end of next year, but, in the European Commission's wording, the course of the war has changed these calculations. Brussels will now concentrate the second package in the first half of 2027 to avoid a halt in aid that could have catastrophic consequences on the ground.

How the €45 billion for 2027 will be allocated

According to the strategy published by the European Commission on Friday, €31.7 billion of the second package is earmarked for military needs and €13.3 billion for the budget. The military portion will be paid out gradually as Kyiv submits new weapons contracts; submissions could begin as early as this year to ensure timely deliveries in 2027. The budget portion is conditional on reforms, some of which are tied to Ukraine's EU accession process; EU leaders have urged the country to maintain its legislative pace. Meanwhile, a €3.7 billion payment has already been delayed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU is providing Ukraine with 'predictability' and helping to maintain basic public services, and called to 'do everything possible to keep pressure on Russia.'

Why the calculations changed and what is missing

Before the announcement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked Brussels to speed up the payments: in his words, the earlier the tranches for drone production, air defense procurement and budget support start arriving, the better Ukraine's position will be in 2027. At the same time, the Commission is looking for ways to close the €70 billion shortfallthat Ukraine will face next year and which will require new funding beyond the existing loan. According to Commission officials, the EU will cover no more than two-thirds of this amount — about €46 billion — with the rest to be provided by other allies; joint debt financing quickly became the leading candidate to fill the gap. An internal document seen by Euronews cites three reasons for the shortfall: the prolongation of the war, now in its fifth year (the loan was designed on the assumption it would end in 2026), intensified Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and the Black Sea blockade, which weaken economic activity and Ukraine's ability to collect domestic revenue, as well as reduced aid from allies outside the EU — if all NATO allies fulfill the commitments of the July summit, the shortfall in military aid will shrink by up to €13 billion.

Patriots and strikes on oil refining

According to the same document, Ukraine's financial needs will 'largely be determined' by its ability to withstand Russian air strikes, which require expensive American Patriot interceptors. Kyiv accuses Washington of delaying Patriot deliveriespaid for with European money; Euronews links this impasse to US President Donald Trump's insistence on pushing for an end to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, which, he claims, drive up global fuel prices. On Friday, a Ukrainian drone attack on the Novokuybyshevsk refinery in Russia's Samara region was reported.