Ukraine has determined its defense needs for 2026 at $120 billion. This was announced by Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal during the opening of another meeting in the “Ramstein” format.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Ukraine’s Contribution and Call to Partners
According to the head of the defense ministry, Kyiv plans to finance half of this amount—$60 billion—through its own resources. At the same time, Ukraine expects to receive the other half with the support of international partners.
“Ukraine will cover half, $60 billion, from our national resources. We ask our partners to join us in covering the other half,” emphasized Shmyhal.
The Defense Minister proposed what he considers the most effective mechanism: each partner country should allocate at least 0.25% of its own GDP for military assistance to Ukraine. If this goal is unattainable, Shmyhal suggests an alternative—securing a loan against frozen Russian assets to finance the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Armaments, Economic Pressure, and NATO’s Position
Denys Shmyhal emphasized that to effectively pressure the economy of the Russian Federation and weaken its military infrastructure, Ukrainian forces need long-range missiles, which are currently available from allies. In particular, this refers to modern types of weaponry that are already well-known to the global community.
The Minister also highlighted the effectiveness of the actions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, noting that the fuel deficit for the enemy has now reached approximately 20% of their needs. In his opinion, this is a result of the successful use of Ukrainian weaponry.
The International Energy Agency’s report emphasizes that due to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries, the rate of oil processing will remain low at least until mid-2026. According to Russian analysts, as of the end of September, 38% of primary oil processing capacities were idle, amounting to about 338,000 tons per day.
On July 14, the U.S. and NATO signed the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) agreement, which provides for the supply of American weapons to Ukraine funded by European countries under NATO coordination. In the first months of the initiative, over two billion euros were raised, which are directed towards the procurement of weapons and ammunition, including air defense systems.
Thirteen NATO countries have already joined PURL; however, the pace of funding has slowed. Some major European economies, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland, have yet to join the initiative. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is urging these countries to participate, while discussions continue within the alliance regarding the fair distribution of the financial and military burden of assistance to Ukraine.