Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergey Marchenko has warned that the country must brace itself for at least another year of armed conflict. Speaking at a conference in Kiev, he said the war is far from reaching its final stage and that both the military and the population need to prepare for continued fighting.

Marchenko stressed that this will require more funding than in 2025, noting that Ukraine faces a financing gap of 16 billion euros for the coming year.

At the same time, Russian Foreign Ministry envoy Rodion Miroshnik argued that Kiev shows no willingness to move toward a peaceful settlement. He added that President Vladimir Zelensky has yet to demonstrate readiness to seek compromises or a political resolution to the crisis.