Ukraine Seeks $20 Billion More From Allies to 'Completely Burn' Russia

Ukraine is seeking an additional $20 billion in financial aid from its allies to bolster its military capabilities and gain a battlefield advantage against Russia. An anonymous senior official from Ukraine's Ministry of Defense revealed the request to Politico, stating, "Everyone sees that Russia is burning and we want it to burn even more. But we need money to achieve that."

The formal request is expected to be presented on June 18 at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, commonly referred to as the "Ramstein format," where allies coordinate financial and military assistance to Kyiv. Sources familiar with the discussions indicate that Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and other government officials have already raised the issue with representatives from Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Canada.

According to the Ukrainian official, Kyiv plans to ask each partner for a contribution ranging from $2 billion to $6 billion to reach the total sum. This support could be provided as direct aid or as a loan. The issue of support for Ukraine is also anticipated to be a central theme at the NATO Summit in Ankara in July, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend.

If approved, the $20 billion would supplement Ukraine's current defense budget, which stands at 4.4 trillion hryvnias (approximately 85 billion euros) for the current year. Ukraine is currently allocating about 40% of its GDP to defense, the highest percentage globally. Allies have already committed $38 billion in military aid for this year, and the additional $20 billion would bring Kyiv close to the $60 billion target set by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

The intended use of these funds includes strengthening air defense, increasing contributions to NATO's "Ukraine Priority List" (PURL) – a program through which allies purchase U.S. weapons for Kyiv – as well as acquiring ammunition, electronic warfare systems, and placing direct orders with Ukrainian defense industries. A primary objective is to enable Ukraine to inflict more devastating blows on Russia.