London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 31, 2026

Ukraine War: Country needs $7bn a month in aid, Zelensky says

Ukraine War: Country needs $7bn a month in aid, Zelensky says

Ukraine's president has told the world's finance ministers his country needs $7bn (£5.4bn) every month until the summer to keep functioning.
Volodymyr Zelensky also said "we will need hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild all this later".

He was addressing an International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank conference via video link from Kyiv.

The World Bank has estimated that about $60bn of physical damage has so far been inflicted on Ukraine.

Mr Zelensky also said the global community needed to exclude Russia immediately from international financial institutions, including the World Bank, IMF and others.

All countries "must immediately be prepared to break up all relations with Russia," he added.

Asked whether the IMF would be able to secure the immediate funding that Ukraine needs, the organisation's managing director Kristalina Georgieva told BBC economics editor Faisal Islam: "We found it for the first and second month.

"We believe that over time this amount is going to go down as the Ukrainian economy in the parts of the country that are not under occupation picks up, and as remittances from those who now work somewhere else start flowing."

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Russia should be made to pay some of the cost of rebuilding Ukraine after the war.

It came as some nations have called for seized Russian assets to be used to fund the country's reconstruction.

However, Ms Yellen cautioned that using seized Russian central bank reserves in the US to rebuild Ukraine would be a "significant step" that would need discussions and agreement with international partners.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, who attended the conference in person, said the country's economic output could decline by as much as 50%, with direct and indirect losses so far totalling $560bn.

That figure is more than three times the size of Ukraine's gross domestic product (GDP), which stood at $155.5bn in 2020, according to the World Bank.

"If we do not stop this war together, the losses will increase dramatically," Mr Shmyhal said, adding that Ukraine would need a reconstruction programme similar to the post-World War Two Marshall Plan that helped to rebuild Europe.

World Bank President David Malpass, meanwhile, said the damage to Ukraine's buildings and infrastructure from Russia's invasion had reached around $60bn and warned that the figure will rise further as the war continues.

Mr Malpass said the early estimate of "narrow" damage costs does not include the growing economic impact on Ukraine.

Also on Thursday, the US imposed further sanctions on Russian ships, while the UK targeted luxury goods including caviar, silver and diamonds with import bans and higher tariffs.

But the Biden administration backed Germany's caution on the European Union proceeding too fast with further sanctions on Russian energy, saying it could cost Europe more than Russia.
Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
Yup send 7bn a month to one of the most corrupt governments in the world and you be sure a buck sixty three will go to the people.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Science Museum Ends Long-Running BP Sponsorship
Scottish Homeowners Prepare Valuation Challenges Over Proposed Mansion Tax
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Undercover Police in Spycops Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Avanti West Coast Drivers Agree 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Action
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
UK Government Retreats From Plan to Unfreeze Personal Income Tax Threshold
Northern Ireland Leaders Press UK Government for Sustainable Funding Settlement
UK Health Agency Warns Nationwide Salmonella Outbreak Could Worsen
NHS Warns Autism and ADHD Assessment Costs Have Become Unsustainable
UK Rejects Moratorium on AI Data Centres Despite Energy and Water Concerns
Thames Water Creditors Offer Government Golden Share in £10 Billion Rescue Plan
UK Warns Defence Executives of Russian Assassination and Sabotage Threats
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% Amid Inflation Risks
UK Restricts Early Prison Release for Serious Offenders as Jails Near Capacity
Genetic Study Finds Medieval Britain’s ‘Conquest Man’ Had Scandinavian Origins
Kemi Badenoch Plans Conservative Frontbench Reshuffle After Cleverly Departure
Nissan Sunderland Plant Highlighted as Key Economic Anchor for North East England
UK Arts Report Finds Women Face Persistent Barriers to Career Progression
Private Equity Consolidation of UK Veterinary Practices Raises Consumer Cost Concerns
South West Water Ranked Worst in England for Environmental Performance
British Train Drivers Secure 3.6% Pay Rise, Averting Strike Threat
UK Prosecutors Consider Charges Against Officers in Undercover Policing Scandal
James Cleverly Leaves Conservative Shadow Cabinet to Run for London Mayor
Allianz Explores £5 Billion Takeover of British Roadside Assistance Group AA
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.7% as Growth Stalls and Inflation Eases
UK Government Announces Electricity VAT Cut and £2 Bus Fare Cap
UK Officials Highlight 80 Years of Diplomatic Relations With Philippines
Heavy Rain Disrupts Parts of England After Weeks of Extreme Summer Heat
More Than 200 Extra Police Officers Deployed Across Cleveland After Violent Incidents
Burnham Meets Northern Ireland Leaders for Talks on Economy and Youth Employment
Burnham to Abstain From UK Assisted Dying Vote
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Financial and Staffing Pressures Ahead of Autumn
UK Treasury Prepares October Budget as Defense and Public Spending Pressures Mount
Scottish Government Publishes Draft Bill for Second Independence Referendum
Royal Navy Tracks Russian Warships and Sanctioned Vessels in 72-Hour Operation
UK and Ukraine Agree AI-Focused Defense Technology Partnership
US Reportedly Weighs Falkland Islands Policy Shift to Pressure UK Over NATO Spending
UK Government Mobilizes Emergency Aid as British Nationals Remain Missing After Nepal Floods
UK Hospitality Industry Reports Stronger Summer Trading but Seeks Tax Relief
Reform UK Proposes £30 Tax Credit for Long HMRC Helpline Waits
Labour Debates Caps on Political Donations Ahead of Future Elections
England Accelerates Housing and Planning Reforms Amid Affordability Crisis
NHS Expands Walk-In Community Health Centers to 40 Locations
UK Regulators Expect Meta to Apply Stronger Child Safety Standards Globally
UK Groups Demand Faster Transport Decarbonization After Extreme Summer Weather
UK Launches 10,000 Work Experience Placements as Youth Unemployment Concerns Rise
UK Government Faces Difficult Autumn Budget Choices Over Defense, Spending and Taxes
UK Government Rejects Calls to Slow AI Data Center Expansion
IMF Raises UK Growth Forecast to 1% Despite Global Supply Chain Risks
×