Zelenskyy asks EU for €70bn for Ukraine defence as Starlink-Ukraine military access stalls and frozen Russian assets return to the table
At an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked European leaders for another €70bn (£60bn) next year to fund Ukraine's defence against Russia, saying the war will cost €155bn in 2027 - while confirming that Starlink access for Ukraine's military is not yet fully restored.
Zelenskyy asks EU for €70bn for Ukraine defence as Starlink-Ukraine military access stalls and frozen Russian assets return to the table
The money dominated the day in Brussels. Addressing the heads of state and government of the EU's 27 countries, who applauded him as he arrived for talks, Zelenskyy put a price on the year ahead and on the year after. He also confirmed that Starlink access for Ukraine's military is not yet fully restored. His request came alongside a revived argument over Russia's €210bn of frozen assets held inside the EU, and hours after Donald Trump called Ukraine's renewed strikes on Russian oil refineries 'a disgrace'.
What Zelenskyy asked for
Zelenskyy told EU leaders the war would cost €155bn in 2027 and set out what he wanted from them for the coming year: another €70bn (£60bn) for Ukraine's defence against Russia. He argued the sum was within reach.
"And we need at least €70bn more from you – for defence, for weapons, and for our resilience," he said. "This is a realistic amount."
He also said he had heard 'only support' when asked about reports that European leaders had urged him to tone down his criticism of Trump.
How the EU responded
Ursula von der Leyen accepted the arithmetic. She said it was clear the bloc had a gap of €70bn that has to be covered for 2027, but expected Ukraine's other partners to pick up part of it.
The EU is not starting from zero:
- Regular payments to Kyiv are already flowing from a €90bn funding plan agreed last December, covering two-thirds of Ukraine's needs in 2026-27.
- The remaining third is meant to come from partners including the UK, Canada, Norway and Japan.
Belgium's prime minister Bart De Wever predicted before the summit how Zelenskyy would frame it: thank you for the €90bn, but that money is going to run out "because a war is a very costly thing".
Frozen Russian assets back on the table
The gap has revived the question of Russia's €210bn in assets frozen inside the EU. The EU already uses the profits from those assets for Ukraine, but last year it decided against touching the funds themselves and instead opted for the EU-backed €90bn loan.
Belgium, which hosts the vast majority of the Russian funds, remains strongly opposed, fearing it would carry the financial burden if the plan failed. The European Commission, for its part, has been reluctant to propose new frozen-assets variants because it fears running into the same opposition from Belgium and other sceptical member states.
Zelenskyy offered a way to lower the stakes, suggesting a structure that would keep the assets under EU control:
"We need something like a special EU-controlled custodian to reduce the risk of them being unfrozen"
He said such an arrangement would guard against the assets being unfrozen and divided among those not wanting the best for Europe.
Starlink access for Ukraine's military: not yet back
On the military kit front, Zelenskyy confirmed in Brussels on Friday that Starlink access has not yet been fully restored for Ukraine's military. Starlink is produced by Elon Musk's SpaceX but controlled by the US government. His partners had told him there were signals from the White House that the Starshield capabilities would return; the Pentagon had been informed the service had to be slowed, according to Reuters, which cited two US officials and a western official.
"Have they returned to the previous speed limits? No. But is it coming back now? Yes."
Zelenskyy had earlier called the speed reduction a 'very dangerous and unpleasant surprise'; Ukraine uses Starlink to support its most effective air defence systems against Russian jet-powered drones. The throttling of Starshield, the military version of the network, is suspected of being intended to prevent its use on drones flying faster than 100mph - as is the withholding of intelligence on incoming Russian ballistic missile strikes. Neither has been officially confirmed.
Sanctions and Trump's criticism
Von der Leyen said Russia had not respected the energy ceasefire for 'not a single minute' and had escalated its attacks; the EU plans a 22nd round of sanctions.
"We will not lift any sanctions unless Russia stops the war."
Trump, speaking to Newsmax before the Brussels meeting, accused Zelenskyy of driving prices up.
"All he's doing is making the world oil price higher," Trump told the Newsmax television channel. "Well, I think that's a disgrace."
The 2027 funding gap remains open, with frozen Russian assets still contested between member states.
