Ukraine funding gap looms over Brussels defence talks

EU defence ministers meet as Europe faces growing security and energy pressures

European defence ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss further support for Ukraine and measures to strengthen Europe’s air and maritime defences as the effects of Russia’s war continue to be felt across the continent.

Ministers are expected to begin developing the European Commission’s proposed emergency protocol for hybrid threats, presented by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her State of the European Union speech in Strasbourg.

An EU official close to the security file said there was room for closer dialogue between the EU and NATO over unwanted aircraft and drone incursions and how to strengthen defences, while avoiding duplication remained a key concern.

Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said European countries needed stronger tools to respond to such threats, particularly along the bloc’s eastern flank.

Ukraine faces major funding gap

Landsbergis also identified financial support for Ukraine as one of Europe’s biggest challenges over the coming year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said €23.5 billion is needed to support the country’s military and continue its defence. Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi said on Sunday that around €6 billion would be covered through strict cost-cutting measures, with international partners expected to provide the remaining funds.

The debate in Europe now centres on whether Kyiv should face continued pressure to implement reforms before receiving additional funding or whether access to financial support should be provided without such conditions.

“We can argue that they need to do reforms and they will do that maybe slowly, slower than we would like to, but then the question is: Do we allow Ukraine to just stop defending themselves if they lack the money?” Landsbergis said.

“And I believe that that will be the most important question of the next year.”

EU countries agreed on Friday to release a €6.6 billion military aid programme for Ukraine that had been stalled since spring 2023 after Hungary vetoed the initiative.

EU diplomatic network faces budget scrutiny

The EU is also preparing negotiations over its next long-term budget, with the bloc’s diplomatic delegations among the areas being examined as governments consider broad spending cuts.

The administrative costs of EU institutions abroad and their global programmes could face pressure during the negotiations.

However, an EU official said cutting the bloc’s diplomatic delegations was politically unlikely, describing the debate as part of an ongoing dispute over the Commission’s efforts to exercise greater control over the EU’s diplomatic service.

Pope Leo XIV addresses France’s assisted dying debate

Pope Leo XIV is concluding his four-day visit to France in Metz after travelling from Paris to Lourdes over the weekend.

During his visit to Lourdes, the pope entered France’s debate over assisted dying, warning against what he called “the temptation to cause death under the guise of false compassion” and stressing the “inalienable dignity of the human person”.

France’s assisted-dying law, which permits assisted dying under strict conditions, came into force in August following years of political and public debate.

“What is legal is not necessarily moral,” Pope Leo told crowds.

Earlier in the weekend, around 800,000 people gathered in Paris, where crowds lifted hundreds of babies and young children towards the Popemobile to receive the pope’s blessing.

Kyiv residents face near-constant air-raid alerts

In Kyiv, Russian drone attacks and air-raid warnings have become increasingly frequent.

Sunday’s attacks struck two kindergartens, two schools, a residential building, a car repair shop, warehouses and communications infrastructure.

Residents are attempting to maintain their daily lives despite the continuing threat. One resident told Euronews that when missiles approach, her family sometimes has only seconds to reach a corridor or bathroom, leaving insufficient time to get to a proper shelter.

Another resident said her 10-year-old child recently told her: “Mum, it feels as if I’ve been living through a war my whole life.”

Air-defence personnel who spoke to Euronews anonymously described the situation as catastrophic and said they expected conditions to deteriorate further in October and November.

EU urged to curb energy demand ahead of winter

European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen has urged EU governments to continue measures aimed at reducing gas and electricity consumption as the bloc enters the winter period with comparatively low gas storage levels.

In a letter seen by Euronews, Jørgensen called on governments to maintain measures that could support gas storage injections or reduce energy demand for as long as necessary.

EU gas storage facilities are around 70% full, approximately 12 percentage points below the level recorded at the same point last year, according to the latest data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

Continued disruption in the Middle East and competition from Asian buyers for liquefied natural gas cargoes are pushing prices higher and raising concerns over supply.

Other developments across Europe

French Cognac producers are facing falling sales as trade disputes involving China and the United States put pressure on the export-dependent industry, prompting growers to seek support from the EU.

South Korea has demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea despite an agreement to keep the move confidential. Zelenskyy said last week that Ukraine had sent the two soldiers to the South and described them as difficult to capture alive.

Russia’s recruitment efforts targeting Belarusian citizens are also being examined, with the campaign described as a means of increasing manpower on the battlefield while exploiting economic hardship and isolation.

EU defence ministers are meeting in Brussels, while agriculture ministers are also gathering with Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is scheduled to address the European Parliament’s Economy Committee at 15:30 CET.