EU foreign policy chief: In 2025 alone, EU countries will provide more aid to Ukraine than ever before
The European Union and its member states have provided almost 169 billion euro financial support, including more than 63 billion euro in military support, to Ukraine since the full-scale war started in 2022, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament in Strasbourg on September 9.
“This year alone, member states will provide more than ever before – 25 billion euro to date,” Kallas said.
“They have now also provided 80 per cent of our two million rounds of ammunition target. We aim for 100 per cent by October,” she told MEPs.
International efforts to end Russia’s war have stepped up in the last few months, Kallas said.
“But Russia’s response is more aggression. Over the weekend, Russia launched the largest aerial assault of this war so far. Putin has zero interest in peace, and he will not stop the war until he is forced to,” Kallas said, saying that this was and is why the EU and its member states were providing the support to Ukraine.
Europe is also the largest backer of Ukraine’s own defence industry through windfall profits from the Russian frozen assets, she said.
“And Europeans have stuck together through 18 rounds of sanctions against Russia and those who enable Russia’s war – four in the last nine months alone. International sanctions have already deprived Russia of at least 450 billion euro in war funds, including 154 billion euro in revenues from oil.”
Europe was once the largest market for Russian energy, but not anymore, Kallas said.
“By 2027, hopefully we will not be importing any Russian gas and oil at all.”
The EU had also sanctioned 444 shadow fleet ships that circumvent its sanctions and bring Russia illegal oil revenues, she told MEPs.
“Ukraine’s bravery backed up by international support has already prevented Russia from achieving its military goals. But it is not enough. The only option we have is to: pile more pressure on Russia; provide more support to Ukraine; and prepare for the day after,” Kallas said.
“More pressure on Russia means more sanctions and continued work to address circumvention, including dismantling the shadow fleet. On sanctions, like I said, we are now working on the 19th package and collecting input from member states,” she said.
“We are also coordinating with partners, because the impact of internationally coordinated sanctions is much stronger than the EU acting alone.”
Kallas told MEPs: “Our message to Russia is simple: this war is not winnable. Leave the battlefield and come to the table with Ukraine”.
(Photo: © European Union 2025)
