Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, November 5, that $16 billion (yaani roughly 1,600 crore dollars) in US assistance promised to Ukraine under earlier agreements was frozen and never provided — and that Kyiv must press Washington for it, even as he thanked the United States for everything it has given.

Source: Ukrinform newsletter, Nov 5

"We must work on this. We must certainly raise the issue that, under previous agreements and decisions, $16 billion was frozen and $16 billion was not provided," Zelensky told Ukrainian journalists. "We are grateful for everything that was given, but Ukraine must fight for at least this money. Let no one in the United States take offense."

Source: NationScope

Zelensky did not specify which agreements or decisions the $16 billion shortfall relates to, or whether the funds had been formally appropriated by the US Congress. He noted that the last major US aid package for Ukraine was approved under former President Joe Biden in 2024.

Midterms change the calculation in Kyiv

The remarks came after the US midterm elections, in which the Democrats won control of both houses of Congress. In an interview with German broadcaster ZDF, Zelensky expressed optimism that Democratic control of both chambers from January could lead to renewed American military and financial support, saying the Democrats speak very clearly about supporting Ukraine — while adding that he was also grateful to Republicans.

President Donald Trump has taken a different approach, pressing to shift the financial burden of supporting Ukraine onto European NATO members, and has repeatedly criticised the scale of US spending under the Biden administration. The $16 billion question now lands in the middle of that Washington argument — and of the US-mediated peace talks due in Abu Dhabi on November 10-11.

On the same day Zelensky spoke, the European Union disbursed €4.36 billion to Ukraine under the Ukraine Support Loan, as European governments discussed security guarantees in Brussels. Read: EU disburses €4.36 billion to Ukraine

Why the money matters now

Ukraine's funding needs remain enormous: the EU has approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine's budgetary and military needs for 2026 and 2027, and Zelensky has previously put the country's 2026 funding gap in the tens of billions of euros even with European support. Russian strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have intensified again — Ukrainian officials say 78 targeted strikes hit energy facilities over three recent days — raising the cost of keeping power, heat and air defence running through the winter.

What happens next: whether the new Congress, once it takes office in January, moves to release or replace the frozen $16 billion will be an early test of how far the midterm result changes US policy on the war — and of how much of Ukraine's support burden Europe ends up carrying alone.