Zelenskyy seeks early EU funds to close $27 billion defense gap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appealed to Nordic and Baltic leaders for urgent financial assistance, revealing a $27 billion shortfall in his country's defense budget. The appeal came during a summit in Kyiv on Sunday, attended by leaders from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Norway.

Zelenskyy explained that the Ministry of Defense had spent funds earmarked for later in the year on urgent needs like drones, creating a significant gap. He proposed bringing forward part of the European loan funding planned for next year to cover the immediate shortfall.

"Around $10 billion is needed to make sure our soldiers have weapons in January, February and March," Zelenskyy said, warning that without immediate action, Ukraine would face severe shortages in the coming months.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal echoed the urgency, citing recent missile and drone attacks on Kyiv. "It's no time to ease the pressure. Moscow must understand that continuing this war will become more and more costly," he said.

Michal also stressed the need to support Ukraine's defense industry, protect its energy infrastructure ahead of winter, and push forward its path toward EU and NATO membership.

Zelenskyy also raised the need for additional Patriot missile systems, noting that Ukraine's Air Force had requested 360 missiles. He expressed hope that Ukraine could secure even a small portion of U.S. reserves, provided it could pay for them.

The summit took place on the eve of Ukraine's Independence Day, with leaders participating in a family photo and bilateral discussions on military support and air defense cooperation.