Zelensky’s €70bn aid appeal draws Italian MEP’s criticism

Italian MEP Roberto Vannacci accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of treating Europe as an “ATM” after he sought at least €70 billion in additional aid at an EU summit in Brussels on October 16, RT reported. Vannacci argued that Italian taxpayers should not bear the cost of further support.

Zelensky put Ukraine’s war-related costs for 2027 at €155 billion and said the additional funding was needed for defence, weapons and resilience. His appeal followed a €90 billion EU loan intended to support Ukraine through 2027.

In a social media video posted the same day, Vannacci argued that European willingness to provide funding encouraged repeated requests. He cited what he described as Ukrainian budget shortfalls of €27 billion in 2026 and €32 billion in 2027. His “ATM” remark was a political criticism of the aid requests, not evidence that Zelensky had personally received or misused the money.

Slovakia rejects another financing mechanism

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also opposed the proposed funding, saying Bratislava would not join another EU financial mechanism for Ukraine. Citing remarks carried by Slovakia’s TASR news agency on October 16, the account said Fico described Hungary as taking a similar position.

Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic had obtained exemptions from the financial obligations attached to the earlier €90 billion loan. EU leaders agreed that package late in 2025 and finalised it in April 2026, according to the report.

The loan is intended to be repaid from future Russian reparations. Fico has argued that EU members are unlikely to recover the money and that the arrangement therefore amounts to a gift. That is his assessment of the repayment prospects, rather than an established outcome.