Ukraine seeks European aid to boost military salaries and recruitment
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urges EU support for Ukraine's military salaries to boost recruitment amid a $65 billion budget gap and rising pressure on drone production.
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President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky attends the parliament session in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Vadym Sarakhan)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on European allies to begin financing salaries for troops, as his government struggles with dwindling recruitment and growing war fatigue among the population, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
"Previously, Europeans refused to provide funding for the salaries of our military personnel, only for weapons," Zelensky said during a press conference in Kiev on Thursday. "Our service members themselves can be the weapon that protects everyone."
Zelensky's military funding request marks a shift in Kiev's approach as public resistance to mobilization deepens in the war’s fourth year.
According to Bloomberg, raising military salaries would add significant pressure to Ukraine's already strained finances, while the government ran a budget deficit exceeding 20% of GDP last year due to heavy military expenditures and remains heavily reliant on foreign aid. But, as stated in the report, allies have so far declined to finance direct military costs like personnel compensation, focusing instead on weaponry and humanitarian assistance.
Kiev’s pitch comes despite pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce its fiscal gap. The IMF currently provides a $16 billion loan program, while Ukrainian officials estimate that only half of the required $75 billion budget over the next two years has been secured from global donors.
In an interview with Bloomberg News, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko confirmed the government has no intention of raising taxes, even as the budget outlook remains uncertain.
War fatigue and budget strain challenge Kiev’s mobilization efforts
The proposal to use European aid to cover Ukraine's military salaries reflects a broader effort by Zelensky to counteract a domestic recruitment slowdown and growing dissatisfaction with extended military service, and the toll of the war has led to resistance toward new mobilization efforts.
Zelensky estimates that Ukraine needs $25 billion annually for domestic production of military equipment such as drones, jamming systems, and missiles. This will push the projected budget deficit to $65 billion next year.
"We’re in contact with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and US officials," he noted. "This is a very difficult topic."
Zelensky also emphasized the importance of increasing Ukraine’s domestic defense production capacity. Ukrainian firms have begun manufacturing interceptor drones, and the president said $6 billion is urgently needed to scale up production.
The United States has already agreed to purchase some Ukraine-made drones, according to Zelensky, who added that he is now seeking a contract between $10 billion and $30 billion to further support the country's defense industry.
Negotiations on these deals and broader military aid are being led by Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, and Presidential Advisor Oleksandr Kamyshin.
