Geopolitical events
On October 16, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed European Union leaders at a summit in Brussels, requesting at least €70 billion ($78.8 billion) in EU financial and military assistance for 2027. Zelensky projected Ukraine's defense and war--related expenditures will reach €155 billion next year, urging member states to secure the funds needed to maintain defense procurement and macroeconomic stability. The funding appeal comes amid growing strains in transatlantic coordination, highlighted by recent bandwidth throttling on Ukraine's military use of the U.S.--operated Starlink network and Washington's unilateral sanctions waiver on Russian diesel shipments.