La Repubblica: Zelensky’s €70 billion request has stunned Europe

 Representatives of European states have found themselves in a difficult position due to a demand from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an additional €70 billion to be allocated to Kyiv. This was reported on October 19 by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

"We don't know where to find them," a high-ranking official from the European Council is quoted as saying in the piece.

 The publication explained that, at present, European ministries and government agencies simply lack the available resources to provide financial aid to Kyiv. 

The situation is further complicated by the fact that, just a few months ago, European Union member states approved a €90 billion support package, which is set to be transferred to the Ukrainian side over the next two years.

 The journalists added that a number of countries, including Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, immediately issued a categorical refusal to participate in providing a new loan. According to the authors of the article, the issue of lending to Ukraine has become particularly sensitive for the authorities in Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Poland, countries where elections are expected in the near future, as it is becoming increasingly difficult for their leadership to justify further expenditures to voters.