Ukraine’s accession to the EU will require revising the bloc’s multi-annual budget, which is scheduled to provide €100B in aid to Kyiv.

As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted, if Ukraine becomes an EU member before the end of the seven-year budget period from 2028 to 2034, during which the EU plans to allocate €100B in aid to Kyiv, the budget will be revised. She explained that specific EU rules make a revision necessary. She added that this makes sense, “because we will need to negotiate depending on the size of the country joining the EU”.

“We will have to agree in the accession treaty on the gradual introduction of payments from the cohesion funds, the gradual implementation of agricultural payments for this country, as well as its gradual contribution to the EU budget”, the EC President emphasized.

The total volume of the EU’s multi-annual budget for 2028-2034 is planned to be nearly €2T, compared to the previous seven-year budget of €1.2T. Additionally, defense spending is expected to play a leading role in the EU’s future financial planning.