EU targets UK for Ukraine funding gap

European Union leaders will formally ask United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham to raise Britain's financial support for Ukraine's defence efforts in 2027. The request will be made during a summit in Brussels, where officials aim to broaden the coalition of states covering Kyiv's rising costs. The EU plans to press not only the UK but also Canada and Japan for additional aid.

The push follows a period of unanswered appeals from Brussels. EU officials state that recent international meetings did not yield the promised extra financial aid from these G7 nations. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, will address Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at an EU-Canada summit in Montreal next week. She will make a similar plea to Burnham when he meets with von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa on November 20.

The timing places pressure on the British government. Chancellor John Healey is preparing his first budget next week. He must balance calls for increased spending against rising borrowing costs and a deteriorating economic outlook. Healey stated earlier this month that he is exploring various methods to support Ukraine, including military, diplomatic, and economic measures.

Ukraine reports a funding shortfall of €70 billion, or £58 billion, for 2027 to cover defence and civilian needs. The EU and its member states currently pay for 80% of Ukraine's financial requirements. The Commission considers a fair share to be two-thirds of the total, with the remaining third covered by other allies. Von der Leyen told reporters last week that the EU will continue to lead but urgently needs other partners to contribute more.

The EU agreed to a €90 billion loan for Ukraine last year, intended to cover two-thirds of Kyiv's needs for 2026 and 2027. However, costs continue to rise as Russia escalates attacks, marking the war's fifth winter. EU officials have prioritised non-EU G7 members, particularly the UK, Canada, and Japan. They are also considering approaching Switzerland, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand for additional support.

The British government says it has committed £25 billion to Ukraine, including £16 billion in military aid. According to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker, the UK is Ukraine's fourth-largest donor, behind the US, Germany, and France. Weighted by GDP, the UK's contribution stands at 0.86% of national income. This compares to 1.1% from France and 1.5% from Germany, figures that are lower than Denmark's 4.2% and Estonia's 3.8%. The UK's share aligns more closely with France and Germany when their contributions to EU programmes are excluded.

Ukraine will be one of several topics at the November summit. Leaders expect to conclude three agreements: a food and animal health deal to reduce post-Brexit paperwork, a linkage of EU and UK emissions trading schemes to protect British industry from carbon taxes, and a youth mobility scheme. The scheme would allow people aged 18 to 30 to live, work, travel, and study across the Channel.

Negotiators have made progress on a key sticking point. The Commission proposed deferring the question of university tuition fees to technical talks within six months of the summit. The UK wants to charge EU students the international rate, which is about four times the domestic fee. The EU seeks a return to the pre-Brexit status quo, where EU students paid home rates.

Senior EU sources believe they retain leverage because the food and emissions deals will not enter into force until a youth mobility agreement is acceptable to the European side. One EU diplomat described the three elements as a gift to the UK, but noted that the leverage lies in the UK's need for these agreements. A second diplomat stated that there is no clear majority among the 27 member states to drop the tuition issue for six months.