Ukraine’s president signs 2026 state budget with $47.5-billion deficit

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed the law on the state budget for 2026, which includes a projected deficit of $ 47.5 billion.

Most of the expenditures are directed to financing the Security and Defence Forces, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

According to the Verkhovna Rada, the budget law was returned with the president’s signature on December 10.

The document sets revenues for next year at 2.9 trillion hryvnias (about $69 billion) and expenditures at 4.9 trillion hryvnias (about $116 billion). The deficit is projected at 2 trillion hryvnias ($47.5 billion), equal to roughly 18.5% of GDP.

The budget was approved by the Verkhovna Rada on December 3, with 257 deputies voting in favour, 37 opposing, and 24 abstaining.

The government says the primary objective of the budget is to ensure national defence, support citizens, and create conditions for economic growth even during wartime.

The state budget passed its first reading on October 31. After that, the document was revised, taking into account the recommendations of the Budget Committee.

By Jeyhun Aghazada