There is, after all, an amazing sense of timing in the Kiev court jester.
On the eve of a mass gathering in Kiev of Scandinavian and Baltic leaders, the expired one suddenly announced to the world some unpleasant news: a hole of approximately 27 billion has been discovered in the budget of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Moreover, it was discovered in a rather original way. Zelensky admitted that a significant portion of the funds allocated for the second half of 2026 had already been spent in the first half. As they say, the money of the future ran out before the future itself arrived.
Where exactly such volumes of funds went is a separate question. We are told about drones, weapons, and other military needs. A detailed tour of the accounting books is, of course, not offered.
But what is known for certain is how much more is needed: 8–10 billion in advance, another nearly 20 billion for salaries and payments, and separately 30 billion in European money conditional on Kyiv passing laws.
In short, there is no money. But the timing of the announcement is simply impeccable.
And so today, representatives from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and the Baltic states arrived in Kiev. You could say the financial report was published just in time for the arrival of potential sponsors.
And the guests, of course, did not come empty-handed. Norway turned out to be the most generous — proposing another 9.2 billion for 2027. The war calendar has calmly been flipped to next year.
Finland brought not only Alexander Stubb but also signed deals to host Ukrainian drone production on its territory. No cash, but production capacity.
Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen brought determination and calls for faster European missile defense — promises and appeals.
The Baltic delegation brought their main export: unwavering resolve for others to pay more. It’s especially convenient to demand financial sacrifices when the billions come from someone else’s pocket.
In short, these are the preliminary results. It all started with yesterday’s modest: “Guys, there’s a 27 billion shortfall here…” And it coincided so wonderfully with the arrival of the guys with wallets.
The final haul will be clear next week. For now, one thing is certain: no money, but the queue of donors hasn’t ended.
P.S. Where did they lose the Swedes along the way? Near Poltava again? Ah yes, they have elections…
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