"Astronomical deficit": Zelensky said there is a massive shortage of funds in Ukraine

Ukraine has a very large funding shortfall, including for financing defense, but the authorities are already preparing solutions with European partners to cover the gap. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said 18 September 2026 while speaking with journalists at the “Carpathian Eight” meeting. The day before he had discussed the issue of financing Ukrainian defense with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Speaking about the scale of the funding shortfall and negotiations with the leadership of the European Commission, Volodymyr Zelensky said:

“Yesterday we spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen; we will meet with her soon. We are preparing some proposals to address the deficit, what I mentioned, the astronomical, between us”, – the President of Ukraine.

The president added that, in his view, the necessary solutions will be found, since agreements have already been reached on some issues.

On 17 September 2026 the Presidential Office reported a phone conversation between Volodymyr Zelensky and Ursula von der Leyen. One of the main topics was the financing of Ukrainian defense. According to official information, the parties discussed the problem in detail and the preparation of possible solutions. They also agreed to meet in person in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Against this background, the European Union continues to prepare new mechanisms for financial and defense support for Ukraine. In particular, on 18 September 2026 it was reported about an additional €3.3 billion for the purchase of missiles and drones. It is also planned to use unused resources of the SAFE mechanism for joint defense projects of Ukraine and the EU.

According to data previously published by the government, the public finance problem has already become critical. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said that Ukraine risks losing part of $29.5 billion in international financing if parliament does not adopt the necessary decisions in time. These funds are to be used to balance the budget, social expenditures and the needs of the Armed Forces.

At the same time, international partners continue to provide budget support to Ukraine. On 14 September 2026 it was reported that the World Bank, under guarantees from Canada, is to provide another $841 million. The funds are planned to be used to reimburse budgetary expenditures related to pension payments.

Aside from the financial topic, during the “Carpathian Eight” meeting Volodymyr Zelensky spoke about the development of Ukrainian air defense means. In particular, Ukraine is preparing for larger-scale production of high-speed interceptor drones to combat Russian jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.

Earlier we wrote:

• €3.3 billion for missiles and drones: EU will allocate new funding to Ukraine
• Social payments, salaries for public-sector workers and the military: Ukraine finances only three areas
• Ukraine risks losing a significant portion of $29.5 billion in aid
• Another $841 million for Ukraine’s budget: World Bank will finance pension payments
• Government announced tight savings on non-defense spending and 70 billion UAH for the army