Ukraine is set to ask allies for tens of billions to build on recent gains against Russia, according to a new report.
A senior Ukrainian official told Politico that the country will ask as much as $20 billion at the next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which will take place on June 18.
“Everyone sees that Russia is burning, and we want it to burn even more, but we need financing to do it,” the official told the outlet.
The official went on to say allies will be asked between $2 billion and $6 billion to reach the target, which can be in the form of “aid or a loan.” It would be an increase on top of the current budget, which currently stands at some 85 billion euros. The country spends about 40% of its GDP on defense.
The country is seeking to use the funds to build on recent progress. Earlier this month, Ukraine’s top military commander said that the country’s forces have recaptured more than 600 square kilometers of territory from Russian troops so far in 2026.
Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said Ukrainian troops had regained more land than they lost in May alone, with a net recovery of 100 square kilometers during the month. He did not publicly identify all the areas involved, and battlefield claims from either side remain difficult to independently verify in real time.
Still, the announcement points to a notable shift in the war’s tempo since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian forces made gains through parts of 2024 and 2025, especially in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has pushed toward key areas of Donetsk.
Still, the announcement points to a notable shift in the war’s tempo since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russian forces made gains through parts of 2024 and 2025, especially in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow has pushed toward key areas of Donetsk.
Syrskyi described the front line as “difficult and dynamic,” with intense fighting continuing across a vast stretch of territory. The most difficult sectors remain in the east and south, including areas near Pokrovsk, Oleksandrivka, and Huliaipole.
Independent analysts have reported a slowdown in Russia’s territorial gains this year. In May, the Institute for the Study of War said Russia’s average daily advance in the first third of 2026 had fallen sharply compared with the same period in 2025. The assessment suggested that Ukraine’s defensive operations and counterattacks had helped slow Moscow’s offensive.
Russia has offered a very different picture of the war effort, with Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian General Staff, claiming that Russian forces had captured 1,700 square kilometers and 80 settlements since the start of the year.
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