IMF finds a hole in Ukraine's financing: up to $20 billion more needed by 2027 – Bloomberg
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Ukraine's external financing needs in 2026-2027 may exceed the government's previous estimates by $10-20 billion. About this writes Bloomberg, citing informed sources.

According to the agency's sources, the Cabinet of Ministers and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine insist that about $37.5 billion is needed for two years, while the IMF believes that this amount will be significantly higher, given the growing military spending and other budget needs.

The final figures should be agreed upon next week. After that, Ukraine and the IMF will turn to their allies to discuss ways to obtain additional funding.

The current IMF program of $15.5 billion is almost exhausted and runs until 2027. It was designed with the assumption that the war would end this year. Now the Ukrainian government is seeking to agree on a new program by the end of 2025.

At the same time, the IMF expresses concerns about certain items of expenditure, in particular, the verification of payments to the military.

The IMF also recommends that Ukraine reduce the shadow economy, which the government estimates at more than 30% of GDP, and increase tax revenues.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that after returning Donald Trump to the White House, the amount of financial assistance from the United States has decreased, and now the European Union remains the main donor for Ukraine.