The EU’s leaders will meet in Prague to discuss Ukraine’s financial needs.

At an informal meeting in Prague on October 7, EU leaders are expected to discuss Kyiv’s financial requirements, which the draft budget for 2023 has placed at $38B. Diplomats preparing for the leaders’ meeting were told last week that expected funding levels from European nations would be similar to the monthly $1.5B the US is willing to provide. This funding is critical to covering essentials such basic public expenditures as, schools, hospitals, and Ukraine’s electrical network. However, the EU’s senior officials have been greately frustrated by the slow pace of the bloc’s decision-making over Kyiv’s financial support.