Sergii Marchenko: Since February 2022, about USD 73.7 billion of direct budget support has been received from donor countries

On 25 January, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko met with Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of the French Republic in Ukraine Benjamin Roehrig.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine Olga Zykova. 

The parties discussed cooperation between Ukraine and France in the areas of finance and recovery, as well as the needs and priority expenditures of the State Budget for 2024. 

The Minister of Finance thanked the Government of France for its comprehensive assistance to Ukraine and noted that thanks to the budget support provided by donors since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Government has been able to ensure sustainable public administration in Ukraine and to fully cover social and humanitarian expenditures of the State Budget. In total, since 24 February 2022, international partners have provided USD 73.7 billion in direct budget support to Ukraine. 

"I am grateful for the assistance provided by the Government of France since the beginning of the russian full-scale invasion - this is a significant contribution to the stability of the financial system and economy of Ukraine. Since February 2022, the total amount of budgetary support from France has amounted to about EUR 400 million," added Sergii Marchenko. 

Also, discussing the State Budget of Ukraine for 2024, the Minister of Finance stressed that the need for external financing is more than USD 37 billion: "Given the significant need for external financing, Ukraine is relying on support to finance its priority expenditures, namely social and humanitarian spheres, as the country fully finances its defence and security at the expense of domestic revenues and borrowings. A regular flow of funds from international partners is necessary to maintain the macro-financial and economic stability of the country." 

The Government of Ukraine is working to ensure that the terms and conditions agreed with its partners are properly fulfilled, which is one of the key elements in Ukraine's recovery and its path to EU integration.

For his part, Benjamin Roehrig noted that the French Government stands in solidarity with Ukraine and continues to work on mechanisms to provide it with the necessary assistance, including funding for healthcare programmes and the reconstruction of critical infrastructure. It was also emphasised that the French Government fully supports the EU's Ukraine Facility initiative worth EUR 50 billion for the next 4 years.