The figure is impressive: the Minister of Finance of Ukraine has estimated the financing gap for 2026
14 September 17:04
Due to the prolongation of the war, Ukraine needs more external financing next year than this year to cover the state budget deficit, with the current uncovered deficit financing for next year amounting to EUR16 billion, Finance Minister Sergiy Marchenko said.
This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Interfax-Ukraine.
“We need more money than this year. There was more this year (than last year). We have not yet seen the final stage of this war, so we need to prepare. I need to cover EUR 16 billion for the next year,” he said at the 20th annual YES conference “How to End the War” organized by the Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv on September 12-13.
Marchenko added that the calculations are still ongoing, and Ukraine hopes to find a common language with its partners on financing next year, as this is a key issue.
Regarding the initiative of a reparations loan to Ukraine secured by frozen Russian assets, which was announced this week by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the minister noted that European colleagues are very creative.
“They are able to prepare various mechanisms that help us to use frozen (Russian) assets without real confiscation,” Marchenko said.
He welcomed these efforts, but clarified that the debate on a specific mechanism is still ongoing and he is not going to spoil it.
As reported, on August 18, Ukrainian Finance Minister Sergiy Marchenko estimated the financial gap for 2026-2027, which is not currently closed by confirmed sources of funding, at $37 billion.
According to him, the required external financing for 2026 is $45 billion, but it will be partially covered by the accumulated stock of funds from the international financing received this year.
