Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday urged Kiev’s allies to allocate 0.25% of their GDP toward supporting Ukraine’s defense industry. The appeal, which comes amid declining U.S. and Western support, is part of a broader effort by Zelensky to sustain Ukraine’s war effort and expand arms production.
Speaking to journalists, Zelensky said that if the funding were provided, Ukraine could ramp up weapons production and export its defense technologies abroad. He also suggested that Ukraine could establish manufacturing partnerships in allied countries.
Zelensky expanded on his proposal in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating:
“This year alone, $43 billion has been allocated to support Ukraine’s defense industry. Next year, we call on each ally to allocate 0.25% of their GDP for this. Because supporting Ukraine’s defense means supporting Europe’s security.”
This marks Zelensky’s second major funding request in the past week. While attending the G7 summit in Canada, he reportedly asked for $40 billion annually in budgetary aid for Ukraine. That request appears to have gone unanswered.
Zelensky arrived at the summit on its final day, Tuesday, in what observers saw as a strategic move to avoid direct confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump. However, Trump departed the summit early, citing the escalating conflict in the Middle East. As a result, the anticipated meeting between the two leaders never occurred.
The Trump administration has shown increasing disinterest in deepening U.S. involvement in Ukraine, instead shifting focus toward the Middle East and Indo-Pacific regions. In recent weeks, Washington has removed key air defense systems from Ukraine and redirected anti-drone missiles—initially bound for Kiev—to U.S. forces operating in the Middle East.
On Friday, Politico reported growing frustration in Washington with Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Citing senior administration officials and members of Congress, the report described Yermak as “abrasive” and “uninformed,” with unclear demands during diplomatic engagements. His visit to Washington earlier this month reportedly yielded no tangible results.
President Trump, speaking on Friday, took a thinly veiled swipe at Senator Lindsey Graham and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—both of whom recently visited Ukraine and called for continued resistance against Russia. “People got to be very careful with their mouth because their mouth could get them into trouble,” Trump said.
At next month’s NATO summit in The Hague, European leaders are reportedly planning to manage Zelensky’s schedule in a way that minimizes potential friction with Trump, including holding Ukraine-related discussions at times when Trump is not present.