EU leaders press UK to pay more for Ukraine defence

European Union leaders are set to press the British government to increase its financial contribution to Ukraine’s defence effort in 2027. At a summit in Brussels on 20 November, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president António Costa will raise the issue with the British prime minister. Brussels argues that the UK, along with Canada and Japan, should do more to support Kyiv. According to EU officials, requests for extra aid made to these G7 countries at recent international meetings have gone unanswered.

Calls for fairer burden-sharing

The commission believes the EU and its member states are covering 80% of Ukraine’s financial needs, but considers a fair share to be two-thirds, with other allies covering the rest. Ukraine says it faces a €70bn (£58bn) funding shortfall in 2027 for defence and civilian needs. Last year the EU agreed a €90bn loan intended to cover two-thirds of Kyiv’s funding in 2026 and 2027. But with Russia escalating attacks and the war entering its fifth winter, costs are spiralling. Von der Leyen said the EU will continue to lead, but added: “we urgently need other partners to step up”. She did not name specific countries.

The British government says it has committed £25bn to Ukraine, including £16bn in military aid. According to the Kiel Institute Ukraine Support Tracker, the UK is the fourth largest donor behind the US, Germany and France. But Kiel researchers assessed UK spending at 0.86% of national income, compared with 1.1% for France and 1.5% for Germany. Denmark and Estonia spend far more as a share of GDP. UK chancellor John Healey, who is preparing his first budget next week, said he is “working on different ways we can step up support for Ukraine – military, diplomatic and economic”. He is weighing calls for more spending against the rising cost of government borrowing and a darkening economic outlook.

Summit agenda and leverage

Beyond Ukraine, leaders are expected to conclude three agreements at the summit: a food and animal health (SPS) deal to reduce Brexit paperwork, linkage of the EU and UK emissions trading schemes to protect British industry from European carbon taxes, and a youth mobility scheme for 18- to 30-year-olds. But the European Commission has proposed deferring the question of university tuition fees, one of the last sticking points. The UK wants to charge EU students international rates, about four times higher than domestic fees, while the EU wants a return to pre-Brexit arrangements. Commission officials suggested resolving the tuition fees issue in technical talks within six months of the summit. However, senior EU sources are confident of leverage: the SPS and ETS deals will not come into force until the youth mobility agreement is acceptable to the European side, including on tuition fees. One EU diplomat said: “The leverage is that the UK needs this [the other agreements]”. Still, there is no consensus among the EU’s 27 member states on postponing the tuition fees question, with a second diplomat noting: “There is no clear majority saying ‘let’s drop it now for six months'”.