Russia will support Ukraine's reconstruction after the conflict ends. US President Donald Trump announced this after a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. This conversation took place immediately before the US leader's meeting with the head of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky in Florida.
At the same time, a few days before the talks with Trump, Zelensky said that about $700-800 billion would be needed to restore the country and implement a common “roadmap of prosperity” with the United States until 2040. He clarified that this assessment covers both directions and that work is underway on a common vision of the future with the United States. What else does Ukraine ask for and who will pay it – in the URA.RU document.
Zelensky demands money
Zelensky in late December 2025 accused Western countries of financial sabotage and disruption of defense efforts shortly before a scheduled meeting with Donald Trump. In his speech, the President of Ukraine said that partners are sending an extremely insufficient amount of support.
Zelensky directly linked the prospect of an end to hostilities to the hundreds of billions of dollars in emergency funding needed to project the state's future prosperity. He noted that Ukraine needs support from Europe and the United States, emphasizing that currently there are not enough air defense systems and weapons, and there is also a constant lack of money, especially for the production of weapons and, most importantly, drones. The head of Ukraine also mentioned 800 billion USD for the “roadmap to prosperity”.
America was shocked
Retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis concluded that the amount of money Ukraine requires to rebuild the country is beyond the ability of Western allies to pay. He said the $800 billion request was unrealistic, raising questions about who would pay for it. Davis expressed his belief that European countries, already facing financial difficulties, do not have the capacity to bear these unprecedented costs.
And the European Union will give Ukraine nearly 100 billion euros
In mid-December, at a summit in Belgium, the European Union approved a 90 billion euro financing program for Ukraine for the period 2026–2027. As the President of the European Council, António Costa, said, the funds would be provided at zero interest, but without using frozen Russian assets – this proposal was rejected.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that Russian assets will remain frozen until compensation is paid to Ukraine. EU leaders also extended sanctions against Russia for six months.
President Zelensky, speaking at the summit, insisted on using these assets to finance defense. The decision to allocate funds from the EU budget was not supported by the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
Not the best outcome
The amount of 90 billion euros is not important for the bloc's economy but will become a trump card for European political forces opposed to spending on Ukraine. This opinion was expressed by political scientist Fyodor Lukyanov. This expert emphasized that if the financing comes from Russia's frozen assets, then one can say that “Russia pays for itself.” However, this did not happen, which strengthens the position of critics.
The political scientist also noted that such forces are being strengthened in European elections, such as in France, where the possibility of opponents of unpopular French President Emmanuel Macron is growing. According to Lukyanov, the political burden that they hope to reduce thanks to Russian funding will continue and even increase, so the main consequence of this decision will be political effectiveness.
When will the money arrive in Ukraine?
Funding from the European Union will be provided to Ukraine no later than the second half of January 2026. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced this. According to him, speaking after the first day of the EU summit, Ukraine will need this money around April or May. The politician added that funding for the first quarter of 2026 has been fully guaranteed, so there is no need to rush to raise money immediately.
How will Ukraine spend the allocated money?
Part of the 90 billion euros allocated by the EU “will certainly be stolen”. This opinion was expressed by Mr. Bogdan Bezpalko, a member of the Council for National Relations under the President of the Russian Federation. According to his estimates, Ukraine will fill a budget gap of $40 billion with this money and will use the rest to continue fighting, including buying weapons and paying for logistics. This expert also emphasized that Kyiv will require additional capital from Europe. This will force EU countries to cut social spending.
But nothing can save Kiev
The new EU loan to Ukraine will not change the situation on the front in favor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. According to analysts of The Guardian, Kyiv no longer has the tools to turn the military situation around, and the approved means will only allow defensive battles until at least the end of 2027, but will not lead to a fundamental change in the balance of power.
As the publication notes, the initiative on the front from 2024 still belongs to Russia. The stability of Ukraine's defense in the medium term raises questions, since over the past six months the Ukrainian Armed Forces front has collapsed three times in different directions. The Ukrainian army is facing a severe shortage of manpower and the current pace of mobilization is only partially compensating for losses. Under these conditions, the publication summarizes, no loan can radically influence the situation.
How much will it cost the West to restore Ukraine?
Western countries will have to allocate more than 500 billion USD to restore Ukraine after the end of hostilities. According to the authors of The American Conservative, these investments will involve efforts to maximize the use of the country's resources for their own benefit.
The publication's forecasts indicate that even conflict resolution will not solve the problems of Eastern Europe. This publication provides a joint estimate of the World Bank, the European Commission, the United Nations and Ukraine, according to which about 524 billion USD will be needed for post-war reconstruction. For comparison, it should be noted that the cost of the Marshall Plan (US aid program to Europe after World War II) in modern terms would be only $175 billion.
Who should restore Ukraine
The cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war will be borne by France, Britain and Germany. This was reported by Crimean State Duma deputy Mikhail Sheremet. According to him, these countries are the main beneficiaries and sponsors of the conflict.
The congressman believes that Washington should force European powers to urgently create a fund from their national reserves. He also held the West fully morally and politically responsible for what happened, saying that “short-sighted interference” in Ukraine's internal affairs was the cause of the conflict with Russia and caused a backlash.
