Ukraine will need at least $120 billion for its defense in 2026, as the war enters its fourth year, Defense Minister Denys Shmygal said, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
Shmygal stressed that funding is key to maintaining defense lines, producing more drones and other weapons, for air defense and deterring further Russian aggression.
"The economy of war shows that if we spend less money than Russia, then we start paying with our territories and, most importantly, with our lives," the defense minister noted. annual conference yesterday in Kiev.
Ukraine's defense spending has soared since Russia's invasion in February 2022, and it now spends more than 31% of its gross domestic product on its military. This year's state budget calls for defense spending of at least $63 billion, plus weapons from Kiev's Western allies.
Roksolana Pidlasa, who heads the parliamentary budget committee, said the war costs continued to rise. She said that in 2025, a day of war costs $172 million, compared with about $140 million in 2024. That includes soldiers' salaries, weapons and compensation for those wounded or killed on the battlefield, she said, adding: "So we need to raise all the necessary resources, all the necessary money." While no details were given about the additional funding sources, Ukrainian government officials have urged allies to find ways to use frozen Russian assets to help Kiev's finances. The war with Russia has intensified in recent months, with heavy fighting taking place along more than 1,000 kilometers of the front line and Russian troops stepping up air strikes on Ukrainian cities and towns far beyond it. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have so far yielded no tangible results. Tensions have risen further this week after NATO fighter jets tried to shoot down multiple Russian drones that violated Polish airspace on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
"Until some diplomatic solution is reached, we will have to keep fighting. And to keep fighting, we need money. Defense has a huge financial cost," Pidlasa said.
UN General Assembly President Analena Berbock said UN peacekeeping forces could play a role in maintaining a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine, DPA reported.
"If a peace agreement is reached, it must be secured in the best possible way. "And if the majority of member states say that this is what the blue helmets are needed for, then that would be something that would hopefully ensure lasting peace," Berbock, a former German foreign minister, told the Sunday edition of the Bild newspaper.
Ukraine's allies have been working for months on plans for a potential new phase in the war - from a ceasefire to a peace treaty. Such efforts, however, presuppose Moscow's willingness to engage in negotiations.
Ukraine is demanding security guarantees in the event of a suspension or cessation of hostilities. Some military experts and analysts say a six-figure number of troops, for example from European allies, may be needed. Another option could be a UN peacekeeping mission, with the blue helmets acting as observers.
Beerbock officially took office as president of the UN General Assembly on September 9. Her new role in New York is largely ceremonial and should not be confused with that of the UN secretary-general, DPA notes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of expanding the war after drone airstrikes in neighboring Poland and Romania, DPA reported.
The Russian military knew exactly where its drones were flying and this was not an arbitrary decision by some lower-level commanders, Zelensky wrote on the Telegram network, adding: "This is a clear expansion of the war by Russia."
Therefore, preventive action by the West is needed. Russia must feel the consequences, Zelensky stressed, quoted by the Ukrinform news agency.
He again called for sanctions and tariffs on Russian trade, but said it was also necessary to create a common security system.
"Don't wait for dozens of "Shahedi" and ballistic missiles to make a final decision," Zelensky urged, addressing the Europeans.
The Ukrainian president has already touched on the issue of sanctions in his evening video address. He said that it is necessary to reduce trade in Russian oil in order to minimize Russia's ability to wage war.
In this context, Zelensky welcomed Trump's proposal for joint action against Russia.
"I call on all partners to stop looking for excuses not to introduce this or that sanction, I call on all of them: Europe, the United States, the G7 and G20 countries," he said.