Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he is planning "difficult and unpopular" measures to cover a deficit in the country's state budget, which has been worsened by a 23 billion euro hole in military spending.
Zelensky pointed to seven bills, though he did not detail their content, saying each one was necessary to reduce the deficit in the state budget.
In a video message, he said some of the measures could prove difficult, unpleasant and unpopular, but that without them it would be impossible to fully cover Ukraine's defence needs and ensure the country's resilience.
Wartime budget pressure
Ukraine relies heavily on financial aid from its Western allies to continue fighting Russia's invasion. In the first half of this year, however, the government was forced to use funds that had originally been set aside for the second half of the year, opening a 23 billion euro hole in the budget.
Russian attacks have also struck the metallurgy and agricultural export sectors, both vital to Ukraine's economy.
Roksolana Pidlasa, who chairs the budget committee of Ukraine's parliament, has said that every day of the war costs the country 190 million dollars, or about 165 million euros, and that Ukraine cannot cover that cost alone.
European support pledged
In August, Zelensky told European leaders visiting Kyiv that Ukraine needed more money, much more. The European allies who visited at the time agreed to grant Ukraine a 90 billion euro loan for 2026 and 2027 to help cover the budget deficit.
Total aid since 2022
Since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022, Ukraine has received more than 230 billion euros from European countries and 115 billion euros from the United States, with another 160 billion euros expected in the future, according to the Kiel Institute, a German economic research organisation that tracks international aid to Ukraine.
