Ukraine expects new IMF program to be approved 'in coming weeks'
Government Commissioner for Public Debt Management Yuriy Butsa said this in an interview with Reuters, Ukrinform reports.
Butsa believes that formal IMF Board sign-off on the money should come very soon.
"I would expect it in a matter of weeks. I think February is still doable in terms of a timeline," he said.
According to the government commissioner, all the numbers have already been agreed upon.
"We already agreed on all the numbers for this and next year and will cover it (budget deficit) from existing commitments," he said.
Commenting on talks about a potential U.S.-brokered ceasefire ahead of the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Butsa noted that even after a ceasefire, Ukraine would need to maintain a large and strong army and continue rearmament, meaning that financial pressure would not ease.
He added that Ukraine was unlikely to rush to issue more international market debt whenever the war does end. Instead it will keep using cheap concessional lending and borrow in local currency debt markets where it doesn't face currency.
On November 26, 2025, the IMF and the Ukrainian authorities reached a staff-level agreement on a new four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with potential access of up to $8.2 billion.
The IMF said the launch of the new program for Ukraine depends on the country meeting prior actions and securing financing assurances. These prior actions include, among other things, adopting the 2026 state budget, broadening the tax base to include revenues from online operations, closing customs loopholes for consumer goods imports, and abolishing VAT registration exemptions.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said during a visit to Kyiv on January 15 that the issue of introducing VAT for sole proprietors in Ukraine must be resolved.
On February 13, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that the Cabinet of Ministers would not submit a bill to parliament this month on registering sole proprietors as VAT payers.
Illustrative photo: Anadolu Agency
