EuropeJune 12, 2026 4:01 pm • 3 min readPresident Volodymyr Zelensky (center) talks to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) during the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, on May 4, 2026. (President Volodymyr Zelensky/Telegram)The latest draft of the European Union's seven-year budget, released on June 11, envisions 89 billion euros of financial support for Ukraine from 2028 to 2034, down from the 100 billion euros ($115 billion) originally proposed by the European Commission.The EU's budget is the biggest legislative item for countries to negotiate over as it underpins every aspect of the bloc's functioning. The addition of direct budgetary support for Ukraine in the proposal was intended to ensure the EU could continue providing support to Kyiv until the end of the decade without cannibalizing other parts of the budget.The budget proposal, published on June 11, is the first proposal presented by the Cyprus Council Presidency, which is tasked with forging a compromise position across the 27 EU countries, and it is that proposal that foresees a reduction to 89 billion euros ($103 billion) in Ukraine support.To put that number in context, the EU passed a 90 billion euro ($104 billion) support loan for Ukraine in April 2026, to be disbursed over two years. That sum is intended to represent two-thirds of Kyiv's total budgetary needs.The Kyiv Independent reported in April that Ukraine's defense budget still has a 20 billion euro ($23 billion) hole for 2026, even with that financial support in place.Therefore, reducing the budget available for direct Ukraine support risks leaving Kyiv short of funds if the war drags on into 2029 and beyond.However, this budget proposal from the Cyprus Council Presidency is far from final. Ireland is due to take over the six-month rotating presidency on July 1, and they aim to reach full agreement by the end of the year.What the final number for Ukraine could be, therefore, remains unknown. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, European Commission officials have told the Kyiv Independent the number could fall further to around 80 billion euros ($92 billion), and one official expects it could go to as low as 60 billion euros ($69 billion).However, nobody has yet said they expected the 100 billion euros ($115 billion) proposed by the Commission to remain unscathed, nor that the sum allocated to Ukraine could exceed that amount.