Zelensky says IMF will help find part of funds Ukraine needs for 2027
President Volodymyr Zelensky met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 22 and reported that the IMF will help Ukraine secure part of the funds required for financial stability in 2027. The two also discussed Verkhovna Rada legislation tied to Ukraine's commitments to partners and the security situation, including a shift in Russian air-attack tactics.
Key points
- Zelensky met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in New York on September 22 on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly session.
- Zelensky reported that the IMF will help find part of the funds needed for Ukraine's financial stability in 2027.
- Zelensky said the Verkhovna Rada has already voted on part of the required legislation and the remaining laws needed for financial support will be passed by the end of the year.
- Zelensky thanked the IMF and described each step of economic support as protection of Ukrainians.
- Zelensky briefed Georgieva on the security situation and on Russia's shift toward air attacks aimed at paralyzing business and government work.
- In New York, Zelensky also held talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and US President Donald Trump on peace.
- Ukraine's 2027 draft budget, approved on September 15, allocates nearly 5 trillion hryvnias to security and defense, a record level.
Why it matters
The announced IMF role points to an external anchor for part of Ukraine's 2027 financing at a time when the draft budget envisages record near-5-trillion-UAH defense spending and over $32 billion of planned external inflows is still unconfirmed. It also makes continued financial support explicitly conditional on the Verkhovna Rada passing the remaining required laws by the end of the year, tying about $29.5 billion in international financing to Ukraine's legislative track. The New York meeting sat inside a wider diplomatic push that also covered EU budget support and US-led peace talks.
What happened
President Volodymyr Zelensky met IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in New York on September 22 on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Zelensky reported afterward that the Fund will help Ukraine find part of the funds needed for financial stability in 2027, and thanked the IMF for the decision, framing each step of economic support as protection of Ukrainians. The two discussed the importance of the Verkhovna Rada passing laws that constitute Ukraine's commitments to its partners; Zelensky said the parliament has already voted on part of the required decisions and that the remaining laws needed for financial support will be voted on before the end of the year. Zelensky also briefed Georgieva on the security situation in Ukraine and on a shift in Russian air-attack tactics toward paralyzing business and government operations. During the same New York week, Zelensky held talks with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and US President Donald Trump on peace.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All seven source articles covering the meeting are Ukrainian, so the framing is uniformly domestic. Ukrainian outlets cast the IMF commitment as a diplomatic win secured by Zelensky in New York and as protection for Ukrainians against Russian attacks on the economy. They stress the linkage between Verkhovna Rada legislation and continued external financing, and place the Georgieva meeting inside the broader New York agenda that also covers EU and US talks.
Background
The Ukrainian government approved the 2027 draft state budget on September 15, allocating nearly 5 trillion hryvnias to security and defense and warning it may need in-year revision because of the deficit and delays in international aid. On September 10, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said Ukraine had been forced to limit state spending because of delayed international assistance. On September 14, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky described public finances as 'close to critical' and warned that delays in adopting required draft laws could cost Ukraine a significant portion of $29.5 billion in international financing. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said €37 billion in EU budget financing remains available through the end of 2026 once Verkhovna Rada reforms advance. Ukraine is also weighing higher VAT and excise rates to fund support for businesses hit by Russian strikes on industrial and logistics sites, and the 2027 draft omits a separate line for the 'National Cashback' program.