Ukraine needs additional $45 bln from int'l partners in 2026 - Finance Ministry

MOSCOW. Dec 3 (Interfax) - Ukraine should raise more than $45 billion from international partners in 2026 to fund the state budget, Ukrainian media quoted Finance Minister Sergei Marchenko as saying in the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday.

He called on the parliament members to vote for the state budget.

"We are currently engaged in rather difficult negotiations. We need a signal that will show that we have a budget, there is efficient interaction between the government and parliament, there is government support for the decisions that are put forward, and there is an understanding that we have an agreed budget," Marchenko said.

He said that the draft state budget for 2026, which was elaborated for the second reading, is "harmonious and balanced," and also takes political and required qualitative changes into account.

The revenues of the 2026 state budget total UAH 2.918 trillion, including UAH 2.625 trillion for the general fund, while expenditures stand at UAH 4.781 trillion, including UAH 4.393 trillion for the general fund.

The budget committee said that the maximum amount of the state budget deficit is proposed to be set at 18.5% of the projected GDP.

At least half of the estimated deficit of $45 billion has not yet been confirmed, parliament member Yaroslav Zheleznyak said.

In September, when the government presented the draft state budget to the Rada, Marchenko estimated the uncovered financing of the deficit next year at 16 billion euros ($18.7 billion at the current exchange rate) out of a total need for $45 billion in foreign financing.

As reported, on August 18, Ukrainian Finance Minister Marchenko estimated the financial gap for 2026-2027, which is currently not covered from confirmed sources of financing, at $37 billion.

The adoption of the 2026 budget is a precondition for the approval by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of a new four-year program of expanded financing for Ukraine, which is preliminarily expected in December. The current version of the project has been agreed with the IMF, he said.