EU leaders set to ask UK PM for more Ukraine funds

European Union leaders will ask British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to increase the UK's financial support for Ukraine when he travels to Brussels on November 20. The request comes as Kyiv faces a projected funding shortfall of 70 billion euros, or 58 billion pounds, for 2027. Brussels argues that the UK, Canada, and Japan must do more to help cover Ukraine's defence and civilian costs.

The timing presents a challenge for the British government. Chancellor John Healey prepares his first budget next week while weighing rising borrowing costs against a darkening economic outlook. Healey stated earlier this month that he is working on new ways to step up support for Ukraine across military, diplomatic, and economic fronts.

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, will make the case for greater burden-sharing. She told reporters last week that the EU will continue to lead but urgently needs other partners to step up. The commission considers a fair EU share to be two-thirds of Ukraine's total needs, with the remaining third covered by other allies. Currently, the EU and its member states pay for 80% of Ukraine's financial needs.

Ukraine's costs continue to spiral as Russia escalates attacks, dragging the conflict into its fifth winter. The EU agreed to a 90 billion euro loan last year to cover two-thirds of Kyiv's funding for 2026 and 2027. However, officials are now looking beyond the EU for additional aid, targeting non-EU G7 members such as Canada and Japan, as well as Switzerland, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.

The UK has committed 25 billion pounds to Ukraine, including 16 billion pounds in military aid. According to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker, the UK is the fourth-largest donor behind the US, Germany, and France. Weighted by GDP, the UK contributed 0.86% of national income, compared to 1.1% from France and 1.5% from Germany. Denmark and Estonia contributed 4.2% and 3.8% respectively.

The November 20 summit will also address three trade agreements: a food and animal health deal, a linkage of emissions trading schemes, and a youth mobility scheme for ages 18 to 30. The commission proposed deferring the issue of university tuition fees to technical talks within six months of the summit. The UK wants to charge EU students international rates, which are about four times the domestic fee, while the EU seeks to restore pre-Brexit home rates for EU students.

EU diplomats believe they retain leverage because the food and emissions deals will not take effect until a youth mobility agreement is reached. One EU diplomat described the three elements as a gift to the UK, but noted that the UK needs the deal more than the EU needs it. A second diplomat said there was no clear majority among the 27 member states willing to drop the fee issue for six months.