EU leaders to press UK for larger Ukraine pledge as 2027 funding gap widens

European Union leaders will ask Britain to pay more toward Ukraine’s defence budget when Prime Minister Andy Burnham attends a summit in Brussels on 20 November. The bloc argues that the UK, Canada, and Japan must increase their contributions to cover a predicted funding gap in 2027. Brussels states that previous requests for extra financial aid from these G7 countries have gone unanswered.

Ukraine faces a €70 billion shortfall next year to cover defence and civilian needs. The EU currently covers 80% of these costs, according to the European Commission. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters last week that the bloc needs other partners to step up. She did not name specific countries in that briefing, but officials have prioritized the UK, Canada, and Japan for additional aid.

The EU agreed last year to a €90 billion loan to support Kyiv. That loan was designed to cover two-thirds of Ukraine's funding needs for 2026 and 2027. However, Russia’s attacks are escalating as the war enters its fifth winter. This has pushed Ukraine’s costs higher than initially projected. The commission considers a two-thirds EU share to be fair, with the remaining third covered by other allies.

The timing is difficult for the British government. Chancellor John Healey is preparing his first budget next week. He is weighing calls for increased spending against rising government borrowing costs and a weakening economic outlook. Healey said earlier this month that he is working on different ways to step up support for Ukraine, including military, diplomatic, and economic measures.

Britain has committed £25 billion to Ukraine, including £16 billion in military aid. This makes the UK the fourth largest donor behind the US, Germany, and France. The Kiel Institute tracks these figures. Weighted by GDP, the UK’s contribution stands at 0.86% of national income. That is lower than France at 1.1% and Germany at 1.5%, and far below Denmark at 4.2% and Estonia at 3.8%. The UK’s contribution aligns more closely with France and Germany once their support for EU programmes is removed.

Leaders in Brussels expect to conclude three agreements at the 20 November summit. These include a food and animal health deal to reduce Brexit paperwork, a link between EU and UK emissions trading schemes, and a youth mobility scheme for people aged 18 to 30. The commission proposed delaying the dispute over university tuition fees to technical talks within six months of the summit. The UK wants to charge EU students the international rate, while the EU wants to return to pre-Brexit home rates. EU diplomats said the three agreements are linked, and the SPS and ETS deals will not take effect until the youth mobility agreement is finalized.

One EU diplomat described the package as a gift to the UK, noting that the UK needs these deals. A second diplomat said there is no clear majority among the 27 member states to drop the tuition fee issue immediately for six months.