Ukraine reveals €23B defense budget gap at Ramstein talks

Ukraine's Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara told allies on Tuesday that his country faces a €23 billion shortfall in its defense budget, appealing for urgent financial commitments to sustain drone production and battlefield operations through the winter. His plea came as a senior U.S. defense official warned that the war could drag on for years.

Khmara's Appeal at Ramstein

Speaking at the 36th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format, Khmara said the funding gap threatens Ukraine's ability to maintain a steady supply of drones, which he described as responsible for "up to 90 per cent of our success on the battlefield". He asked partners to make financial decisions by November "so that we can see the results on the battlefield as early as this winter".censor

The shortfall emerged after the defense ministry accelerated spending in the first half of 2026, drawing on funds originally planned for later in the year, while a €90 billion EU loan package faced delays. At the July NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, allies pledged €70 billion in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukraine. Khmara said €62 billion of that has been delivered so far, including bilateral aid and an EU loan, leaving €8 billion still needed to fulfill the pledge.politico+3

Khmara also disclosed that Ukraine is signing contracts for roughly 1,000 Patriot RTX Corporation ↘ 1.22% interceptor missiles with partner support and EU loan funds, though most will not arrive for years. He asked allies to provide missiles from existing stockpiles now in exchange for upgraded replacements under those contracts. Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded by announcing transfers of PAC-2 interceptors from Bundeswehr warehouses and increased supplies of AIM-9 air-to-air missiles.babel+1

U.S. Warns of Protracted Conflict

U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, addressing the group virtually, said allies "must be prepared for a protracted conflict and for Ukraine's requirements to persist in the months and years ahead". He noted that Russia is reconstituting its forces and defense-industrial capacity, making it "all the more important for Europe to sustain support for Ukraine while also accelerating its own rearmament and reindustrialization".mezha+1

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte echoed the urgency, telling allies that "delays simply cost human lives" and urging nations to "dig deeper". The UK announced £100 million for Ukraine's immediate military needs, including Patriot missiles and air-defense equipment, to be channeled through the PURL initiative.euractiv

A War Sustained by Drones and Western Cash

The €23 billion figure has been circulating since late August, when President Volodymyr Zelensky first raised it at a Coalition of the Willing meeting in Kyiv. Roughly $20 billion of the gap covers military pay, payments to families of the fallen, and operational costs, while $8 billion to $10 billion represents advance capital for weapons contracted for early 2027 delivery.defenceukraine

Colby's remarks came days after Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to restart peace talks. "Our goal is a lasting peace," Colby said. "From the standpoint of the Department of War, however, we cannot predict when this tragic war will end".news.antiwar+1