Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 5, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUkraine plans to revise its 2025 budget to boost defence funding amid the ongoing war with Russia, according to lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak.
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine's finance ministry plans to revise the 2025 budget to boost financing for defence, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said on Thursday, as the war with Russia drives demand for more weapons, ammunition and funds to pay soldiers' wages.
Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, reporting to parliament on the budget situation, said Ukraine needs to channel more funds to its armed forces, Zhelezniak said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukrainian parliamentary sessions are closed to the public, including to the media, for security reasons.
The 2025 budget currently allocates 2.23 trillion hryvnias ($53.7 billion) - about 26% of Ukraine's gross domestic product - for defence spending.
Ukraine's army is battling a much larger and better-equipped enemy along more than 1,000 kilometres of the frontline in a conflict now well into its fourth year.
Finance ministry data showed that Ukraine's defence spending totalled 765 billion hryvnias ($18.4 billion) in the first four months of the year.
Government officials have said they plan to look for additional ways to increase domestic revenues by focusing on measures to reduce the shadow economy.
While the bulk of state revenues go to fund the Ukrainian army and domestic weapons production, Ukraine relies on financial aid from its Western allies to finance social and humanitarian spending.
Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has received about $133 billion in international financial support.
(Reporting by Olena HarmashEditing by Philippa Fletcher and Gareth Jones)
Ukraine's finance ministry plans to revise the 2025 budget to increase financing for defence, according to lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak.
The 2025 budget currently allocates 2.23 trillion hryvnias ($53.7 billion) for defence spending, which is about 26% of Ukraine's gross domestic product.
Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has received about $133 billion in international financial support, which is crucial for financing social and humanitarian spending.
Government officials are looking for additional ways to increase domestic revenues by focusing on measures to reduce the shadow economy.
Ukraine's defence spending totaled 765 billion hryvnias ($18.4 billion) in the first four months of the year, reflecting the ongoing conflict with Russia.
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