The war against Russia is very expensive for Ukraine. Just one year of confronting the aggressor requires 120 billion dollars.
Points of attention
- Ukraine spends $120 billion annually on the war against Russia, according to President Zelenskyy.
- Prolonging the conflict could lead to severe consequences for Ukraine, with an estimated $120 billion required for military spending in 2026.
- The country currently allocates a significant portion of its GDP, 31%, towards defense, highlighting the burden of sustaining the war effort.
The price of war: Zelenskyy revealed the cost of Ukraine's fight against Russia
This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with President of the European Parliament Roberta Matsola in Kyiv.
According to the head of state, Ukraine currently has $60 billion, but this is only half of the amount needed for 2026.
The cost of one year of war today is 120 billion dollars: 60 billion is the Ukrainian budget, and I have to find another 60 billion for next year.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
Therefore, the president emphasized that the main task now is to end the war. However, if this cannot be achieved, there is a plan "B".
Plan A for us is to end the war, Plan B is $120 billion. And that's a big challenge.
At the same time, the President noted that Ukraine will need less money for reconstruction after the war if it manages to achieve a ceasefire and receive security guarantees.
Earlier, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andriy Hnatov, said that Ukraine spends about $172 million on the war with Russia every day. In hryvnia equivalent, this is about 7 billion. He emphasized that this is an amount that cannot be covered solely by its own resources.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal also warned that Ukraine would need at least $120 billion in military spending in 2026 if the war did not end. According to him, if Ukraine spends less than Russia, it will be forced to pay with territory and human lives.
And the head of the Rada's budget committee, Roksolana Pidlas, noted that Ukraine currently spends 31% of its GDP on defense, the highest in the world. This figure includes military salaries, ammunition, weapons, support for wounded soldiers and families of the deceased.
