Ukrainian Rada passes 2025 state budget at 1st reading

MOSCOW. Oct 31 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada passed a bill on the 2025 state budget at the first reading on Thursday, Ukrainian media reported with reference to parliamentarian Yaroslav Zheleznyak's social media post.

In a commentary on the budget's approval by the Rada, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said on his social account that the document allocates over UAH 2.2 trillion on defense and other military purposes, which makes around 26% of GDP and is UAH 46 billion more than in 2024.

The 2025 budget's overall expenditures should exceed UAH 3.6 trillion, or UAH 535 billion more than in 2024.

"We expect that the state budget will be passed on the whole as soon as possible," Shmygal said.