It is asking for an additional $20 billion in defense from its allies in order to maintain what it describes as an “advantage” on the battlefield against it.
The request will be presented in the coming days at a meeting of the Contact Group on the Defense of Ukraine, an alliance of more than 50 countries, also known as the “Rammstein Group”, which provides economic and military aid to Kiev.
The advance of Russian forces has slowed this year — and has effectively frozen since last month — as medium-range Ukrainian drone strikes hit Russia’s supply lines and logistics at the front. At the same time, long-range drone attacks have caused significant damage to the Russian energy sector.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian military commanders have estimated that developments on the battlefield create a “window of opportunity” in 2026 to pressure Russia to come to the negotiating table on terms more favorable to Kiev.
The strategic goal of Ukraine and how it will be achieved
The commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, Robert Brovdi, told Reuters that the strategic goal is to force Russia to withdraw from the front line by destroying supply lines and logistics with intensified drone strikes.
To achieve this, as he pointed out, additional funding is needed.
“The production capabilities, the quality of the drones and the number of crews operating in Ukraine are enough to deal a devastating blow to the Russian economy, paralyze logistics and strain their manpower,” Brovdi said.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said last month that he wanted peace talks with Russia to go ahead before winter to take advantage of Kiev’s improved strategic position.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin argued last week that Russian forces were continuing to advance every day and that there was no need for talks. At the same time, he said that the Russian economy is not in danger, although he admitted that the Ukrainian strikes are causing damage.
Ukraine’s plan for the new funding request was first reported by Politico. At next week’s meeting, some allies will be asked to contribute between $2 billion and $6 billion each to meet the $20 billion goal, either in direct financing or loans, according to the same source.
