US president Donald Trump greets Russian president Vladimir Putin in Alaska in August. A Ukrainian artillery crew fires an M777 howitzer at Russian targets at the Kurakhove front line in eastern Ukraine in February. The commission predicted Ukraine would begin to run out of money in the second half of 2026, risking a possible collapse on the battlefield. The EU loan puts Kyiv in a more secure position in the twisting negotiations the US has been running, to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine. “Ukraine is still in the fight and no one would have predicted that four years ago,” he said.

Source: The Irish Times January 01, 2026 12:01 UTC