The Verkhovna Rada supported the increase in the defense budget in the first reading
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved in the first reading a draft law that envisages a significant increase in funding for national security and defense in 2026. The total amount of spending on this sector will exceed 4 trillion hryvnias.
The draft law No. 15224, approved on May 28, provides for amendments to the state budget, including additional defense expenditures of 1.56 trillion hryvnias. The decision was supported by 240 deputies, with 226 votes required. It is expected that thanks to the planned financial support from the European Union amounting to 45 billion euros, government budget revenues will increase to almost 5 trillion 196 billion hryvnias.
Additional funds will be distributed among three main areas: an increase in military personnel’s monetary allowances, which will rise by 174.3 billion UAH, modernization of weapons and military equipment with an increase in funding of 1 trillion 371 billion UAH, and security and defense sector reserves receiving an additional 14.6 billion UAH.
In addition, the changes introduced for the first time provide for the enrollment of military duty tax to a special state budget fund to support military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from July 1, 2026. After the introduction of export duty, it is planned that the funds received will be directed to the modernization of weapons and monetary allowances for military personnel.
Overall, a reduction in the budget deficit of 651.5 billion UAH is expected – from 18.5% to 12.1% of GDP due to significant external support in the form of grants. The draft law should be prepared for the second reading under a shortened procedure.
Against the backdrop of heightened geopolitical tension, the decision to increase the budget for the security sector confirms the priority of defense in state policy. Experts indicate that such measures could contribute to strengthening the country’s security and stabilizing the situation in the region.
| Planned Expenditures | Amount (billion UAH) |
|---|---|
| Military personnel monetary allowances | 174.3 |
| Weapons and military equipment | 1,371.0 |
| Security sector reserve | 14.6 |
| Total resources | 4,367.0 |
