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Defending Ukraine Is Getting More Expensive, and Europe Is Struggling to Foot the Bill
The Wall Street Journal ^ | Updated Sept. 10, 2026 3:49 pm ET | Laurence Norman in Berlin and Anastasiia Malenko in Kyiv, Ukraine

Posted on 09/10/2026 4:25:09 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

Behind the scenes, officials attempt to bridge a widening funding gap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his government needs tens of billions of additional dollars to keep fighting and pay bills through the end of the year.

The request couldn’t come at a worse time for European governments, the main donors to Kyiv’s defense against Russia. European officials privately warn they might not be able to foot the bill for everything Ukraine wants.

Last weekend, the hard-right Alternative for Germany party, known as AfD, stormed to victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections on a platform of ending assistance for Ukraine and restoring energy ties with Moscow.

In France, the leading candidate in next year’s presidential race, Marine Le Pen, says Paris can’t afford to keep supporting Ukraine. Her National Rally party voted against a big loan the European Union made to Ukraine this spring.

The message from incumbent European leaders is resolute, to a point. They will provide Ukraine the help promised, which includes the $105 billion loan through 2027, but won’t commit to give more.

On Sept. 1, Zelensky said that Ukraine has to lock down money for the winter for defense and basic social services. The cash, he said, will “ensure the normal functioning of our state, despite everything.”

Ukrainian officials say that they lack funding for $27 billion worth of defense needs into the new year. Rising war costs, including increased drone demand, additional air-defense funding and salaries for soldiers created the deficit, Ukraine’s prime minister said.

(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: 4threich; democratgravytrain; fourthreich; mrbeanoncrack; sendanothertrillion; zeepersarerinosdude

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1 posted on 09/10/2026 4:25:09 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

GIBS ME MO’ TENS OF BILLIONS! 🤦🏼🤦🏼


2 posted on 09/10/2026 4:28:37 PM PDT by House Atreides (I’m now ULTRA-MAGA-PRO-MAX)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

From time to time I hear it floated to fund Ukraine’s defence by liquidating frozen Russian assets not under Putin’s control. How much are we talking about in Dollars if all were seized and tarnsferred to Ukraine?


3 posted on 09/10/2026 4:30:15 PM PDT by desertsolitaire ("Wenn hinter Fliegen Fliegen fliegen, fliegen Fliegen Fliegen nach.")
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Why spend billions on Ukraine when the EU can spend 30 billion a year on welfare for illegals instead


4 posted on 09/10/2026 5:00:47 PM PDT by Organic Panic ( )
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To: House Atreides
Ukraine is not owed a damn thing!
5 posted on 09/10/2026 5:07:33 PM PDT by A strike (fvckMI6 Drool Britannia & No more Dots)
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