Ukraine is urging the European Union to pay in advance part of its €90 billion support loan to plug a defence budget shortfall of roughly €23 billion, after the European Commission approved €6.1 billion in new military aid on Monday.
Kyiv expects €30 billion from the bloc specifically for defence financing, with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also pushing to unlock frozen Russian assets held in partner countries. He held talks with European Council President António Costa and Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden, whose government signalled willingness to help cover the deficit.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have recaptured 820 square kilometres since January, while Russia has seized about 990 square kilometres. Meanwhile, shipping through Odesa ports has dropped to three or four vessels daily, a fraction of previous traffic.