Ukraine’s president has warned of a potential mass exodus as the country faces another winter of Russian attacks and a growing financial shortfall.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that as many as 20 million Ukrainians could be forced to flee to Europe if Russia wins the war.
“Russia is killing us,” Zelenskyy told reporters on Friday during a summit of European Union leaders. He said Ukrainians were being “pushed” out of their country and added that Moscow had shown no willingness to stop the war.
The warning comes against the backdrop of one of Europe’s largest displacement crises since the Second World War. Millions of Ukrainians left their homes following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. More than four million Ukrainians currently live in EU countries under temporary protection, with Germany, Poland and Czechia hosting the largest populations, according to Eurostat.
Ukraine faces another winter of war
Zelenskyy’s remarks come as Ukraine prepares for its fifth winter since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, with continued Russian bombardments adding to pressure on the country’s infrastructure and population.
Kyiv is also facing a significant funding gap. According to projections from the International Monetary Fund, Ukraine could face a budget shortfall of between $30 billion and $35 billion next year, even with a €90 billion loan agreed by the EU last year.
The Ukrainian president travelled to Brussels to meet European leaders and seek further financial backing as his government attempts to sustain the country’s defence and public services.
EU support faces competing pressures
The European Union remains a major source of financial and political support for Ukraine, but securing further assistance comes as the bloc confronts a series of competing priorities.
Rising energy costs, upcoming elections, geopolitical tensions and a deadlock over the EU’s €2 trillion budget are all placing pressure on European decision-makers.
Zelenskyy’s warning highlights the potential consequences beyond Ukraine’s borders if the conflict ends in a Russian victory. A new wave of displacement on the scale he described would place additional demands on European governments already supporting millions of Ukrainians who have fled the war.
The scale of any future refugee movement would depend on developments on the battlefield and conditions for civilians inside Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s figure represents a warning about a possible outcome, rather than a confirmed forecast.
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