European countries unprepared for Ukraine's $27 billion budget deficit, says The Washington Post

European countries did not expect Ukraine's budget deficit of $27 billion to be so large and emerge so quickly, The Washington Post reports, citing diplomats. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Shmyhal announced a lack of funds for defense and asked the "coalition of the willing" to help close the gap. He said the government has already reallocated $1.5 billion toward defense spending. Kyiv made the request in August during a visit by European leaders for Independence Day. "Among members of the 'coalition of the willing,' there was a sense that a bomb had been dropped," a senior European diplomat told the newspaper.