Mendel: Europe will revise its approach to financing Ukraine

Former spokesperson for Volodymyr Zelensky, Yulia Mendel, has stated that Europe did not expect Kyiv’s request for an additional approximately €23.2 billion by the end of the year and now intends to revise its approach to financial assistance for Ukraine.

She published her statement on the social network X, without citing any sources.

According to Mendel, a New York Times report on Kyiv’s budget request provoked a negative reaction in Brussels.

“Europe did not expect Kyiv to request an additional approximately €23.2 billion by the end of the year. The New York Times reports that EU officials are now quietly asking where the budget hole came from and whether Ukraine is spending the money correctly or simply inflating expenditures. Kyiv has no answer,” Mendel wrote.

The former official describes contradictions between Ukrainian agencies regarding the nature of the budget deficit. Zelensky’s office, she says, claims that the previous leadership of the Ministry of Defense spent funds earmarked for the second half of the year in advance. The former defense minister, for his part, denies the existence of such a deficit during his tenure. The budget committee, according to Mendel’s post, states that it was warned of a shortfall of approximately €6.4 billion, not approximately €23.2 billion, and notes that military spending grew by more than 17% over eight months.

Mendel separately criticizes Kyiv’s proposal to receive funds early under a two-year EU loan in order to cover the current year’s needs.

“Kyiv’s proposal looks even worse: to receive funds early under a two-year EU loan in order to cover the current year’s needs. This leaves 2027 virtually without funding. Europe will now revise its approaches to financing Ukraine — generosity should not be expected,” Mendel states.

In conclusion, Zelensky’s former spokesperson draws the inference that “the only way out of a conflict that is exhausting both the budget and the country is real progress in peace negotiations.”