The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine today approved the law on the state budget for 2026. This decision was supported by 257 members of parliament. This was reported by representatives of the parliament, including Yaroslav Zheleznyak and Oleksiy Honcharenko.
Key aspects of the 2026 budget
According to the approved draft, the revenues of the state budget will amount to UAH 2.918 trillion, while expenditures will be UAH 4.781 trillion. This will lead to a deficit of UAH 1.9 trillion, which constitutes 18.5% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Budget priorities
The Minister of Finance of Ukraine, Serhiy Marchenko, emphasized that the main priorities of the budget remain funding for the security and defense sector, education, and social protection of citizens. Expenditures on the security and defense sector are planned at UAH 2.8 trillion, which is approximately 27% of GDP. One important focus will be increasing salaries for educational workers, aimed at improving the quality of education.
Funding for social programs
About UAH 470 billion is allocated for social support for citizens, and nearly UAH 260 billion for healthcare, which represents a significant increase compared to the previous year.
Criticism and response
After the voting, opposition representatives, including Yaroslav Zheleznyak, expressed their protest, noting that the budget has lost social priorities and does not provide adequate funding for military personnel. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his part, thanked the deputies for supporting the budget, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the resilience and stability of the financial system amid the ongoing war.
Conclusions
The adoption of the budget for 2026 reflects the government's efforts in the context of the Great War in Ukraine and its desire to find a balance between defense and social policy. The government expects that international partners will provide Ukraine with the necessary financial support to prevent an economic crisis.
