Ukraine’s need for external funding in 2026 amounts to approximately $52 billion. This amount is necessary to cover key budget expenditures, including social and humanitarian programs, the restoration of critical infrastructure, and the fulfillment of defense tasks.
This is reported by Finway
Discussion on Financial Support and Reforms
On March 25, the 16th meeting of the Steering Committee of the Ukrainian Donor Platform took place in Kyiv. The event was attended by representatives of the Ukrainian government, the G7 countries, the European Union, and international financial organizations. Among the delegates were Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, heads of ministries, the Director General of the European Commission for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert-Jan Koopman, Acting U.S. Aid Coordinator Kirsten Selinger, and France’s Special Envoy Muriel Laku-Labart.
During the meeting, participants discussed issues related to securing funding for the state budget in 2026, restoring critical infrastructure, and implementing structural reforms. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko expressed gratitude to international partners for their support and noted that in 2025, Ukraine received $52.4 billion in direct budget assistance, which allowed for full financing of social and humanitarian expenditures.
“In 2025, Ukraine received $52.4 billion in direct budget support. These funds enabled us to fully cover key social and humanitarian expenditures. I sincerely thank all partners for their effective cooperation, which contributed to maintaining the financial stability of the state.”
Support Programs and Economic Stability
Serhiy Marchenko outlined the key budget needs for 2026, emphasizing the high level of spending on defense and the country’s recovery. According to him, in the first months of 2026 alone, Ukraine attracted $5.5 billion through the ERA mechanism, as well as with the support of the IMF, World Bank, and Japan.
An important factor in this support was the new $8.1 billion IMF program aimed at macro-financial stability and the implementation of reforms, with the first tranche of $1.5 billion already received. Additionally, the European Union has decided to provide Ukraine with €90 billion in loan assistance for 2026-2027. Ukraine expects to receive the first tranche soon.
Despite significant needs, the execution of the state budget remains stable due to improvements in tax administration. In 2025, tax revenues increased by approximately 20%, customs revenues by 21%, and in the first two months of 2026, budget revenues rose by 16.5% compared to the same period last year.
The donor platform currently unites 25 participants, including both permanent and temporary members and observers, as well as seven international financial organizations.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has already received over $172.9 billion in budget support, but unmet needs for 2026-2027 remain significant.
