Budget disputes in the EU threaten further aid to Ukraine.

EU funding to support Ukraine is being held back by disagreements between member states, while concerns about strained national budgets and rising spending in Brussels threaten the flow of financial aid to Kyiv.

According to the FT, Brussels’ request for an additional €86B in funding, aimed at easing the burden on the EU budget and at the same time extending its four-year support of Ukraine, has divided member states and led to calls for reductions in funding and longer approval periods.

The debate is a crucial test of the West’s resolve to support Ukraine, as skeptics in Europe and the US have begun to point to the limited success of Kyiv’s summer counteroffensive. Brussels offered to extend the last funding package for Ukraine for four years, partially to protect Kyiv from political instability.

On August 29, EU ministers resumed consultations, and support for Ukraine will be the main agenda item at the ministers of defense and foreign affairs meetings. The largest EU countries are discussing the aspects of supplementing the multi-year program for Ukraine to reach a consensus.