Sources said the EU has declined Ukraine’s request to accelerate loan
disbursements. Ukraine told partners this summer that rising war costs create an
additional €27bn financing gap in 2026 and asked the EU to advance a €90bn loan
package originally meant to support Kyiv through end-2027. Von der Leyen told
Zelenskiy the EU still has €37bn of 2026 budget support available but expects
reforms including tougher action on the shadow economy, higher tax revenue and
alignment with EU law. The EU said advancing loans would likely only push the
shortfall into 2027 and urged partners such as Canada, Norway and Japan to
increase contributions; €45bn earmarked for 2027 will be disbursed quickly from
next year. Separately, IMF projections cited by sources show a $30–35bn
financing gap for Ukraine in 2027, about $17bn in 2028 and roughly $2bn in 2029.
