Rutte Says No Imminent Threat to NATO Territory, as Ukraine Faces $27bn Funding Gap

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said there is no imminent threat to NATO territory, though he stressed that the alliance remains prepared to respond to Russian aggression, according to The Guardian's live coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war.

Separately, Ukraine's prime minister, Sergii Koretskyi, said the country's total war costs will reach $155 billion this year, and that the government is struggling to close a $27 billion funding gap needed to sustain combat operations into early 2027, according to Reuters, as reported in the Guardian's live blog.

How Ukraine plans to close the gap

Koretskyi said the government plans to cover $7 billion of the shortfall by postponing certain expenditures, reallocating funds from other parts of the budget, and cutting some costs. He added that Ukraine is in talks with international partners over how to cover the remaining $20 billion, according to the report.

The figures underscore the scale of the financial burden facing Ukraine as its defense against Russia's invasion continues, with the government relying on both domestic budget adjustments and support from international partners to sustain military operations.

The Guardian's live blog did not specify which partners Ukraine is in discussions with regarding the remaining funding gap, nor did it provide further detail on Rutte's remarks about the alliance's assessment of the threat level facing NATO territory.