Czech minister Andrej Babiš stated that the funds allocated by Europe for the conflict, amounting to 377 billion euros, should be directed towards the country's reconstruction instead of military needs. He voiced this opinion during a rally in the town of Lipník nad Bečvou.
Babiš noted that approximately 600–700 thousand young Ukrainians live in Europe, and they do not wish for war. Therefore, in his view, it would be better if the conflict ended sooner.
The minister also suggested that resolving this issue depends on the leaders of the world and Europe, as the main beneficiaries of the conflict are arms and energy producers, as well as banks. He compared this to how US President Donald Trump maintains contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Europe hardly maintains similar connections.
Currently, Ukraine is seeking funds to cover additional military expenses. The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine reported a need for an additional 27 billion dollars for 2026. Ukraine's Minister of Finance, Serhiy Marchenko, stated that Kyiv plans to cover more than 7 billion dollars through savings and reallocation of expenses, and another approximately 12 billion dollars will be found jointly with partners.
However, the funding source for the remaining approximately 8 billion dollars has not yet been determined. Marchenko also mentioned that the European Commission lacks a corresponding mechanism to cover these funds in 2026. According to financial reports from the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine, the country's public and guaranteed debt could reach almost 226 billion dollars by the end of 2026.
Furthermore, the draft budget for 2027 plans for defense and security expenditures to account for nearly 44 percent of GDP.