Ukraine seeks $20 billion from allies to expand battlefield advantage over Russia
Photo: Ukraine to ask allies for another $20 billion (Getty Images)
Ukraine wants to secure an additional $20 billion from its allies to strengthen its advantage over Russia on the battlefield, according to Politico.
Everyone sees that Russia is burning, and we want it to burn even more, but we need financing to do it," a senior Defense Ministry official said.
According to the media outlet's sources, the $20 billion request will be presented on June 18 at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format.
What is known about Ukraine's request
According to people familiar with the talks, the issue was raised by Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and other government officials during a series of meetings with representatives of Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Canada.
The official said each ally would be asked to contribute between $2 billion and $6 billion to reach the $20 billion target.
"It can be aid or a loan," he noted.
Support for Ukraine is expected to become a key topic at the NATO leaders' summit in Ankara in July, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to attend on the sidelines.
How the money would be spent
If approved, the entire amount would be invested immediately in Ukraine's defense sector.
The funds would be used for:
- strengthening air defense and acquiring long-range weapons;
- large-scale purchases of drones, ammunition, and advanced electronic warfare systems;
- direct government procurement from Ukrainian defense companies;
- expanding contributions through the Priority Ukraine Requirements List (PURL).
"The window of opportunity tends to close. Russia is fast and innovative. And if we give them time to adapt again, we might lose the only real chance to end this war with real negotiations. And if Russia invents its own mid-strike drones, it will be a catastrophe for us," a senior official told the media outlet.
He stressed that "if Russia develops its own medium-range strike drones, it will be a disaster for us."
Strikes on Russia
Since the beginning of 2026, Ukraine has significantly increased strikes on military and fuel-energy facilities inside Russia.
According to calculations by The Economist, while 335 such attacks were recorded from 2022 through the end of 2024, the number rose to 658 in 2025 alone.
This year's total could exceed 800. Ukrainian forces have been regularly targeting Russian oil refineries, fuel depots, and port infrastructure.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Kyiv will continue responding to Russian attacks and will impose what he called "fair long-range sanctions" against the aggressor state.
At the same time, Ukraine's Defense Forces continue operations aimed at weakening military infrastructure in occupied Crimea.
As a result, key Russian logistics routes have suffered significant damage.
Following two separate attacks, the Chonhar Bridge sustained critical damage and is currently unusable for vehicle traffic, complicating supplies to Russian forces operating in the south.
