Ukraine says government has delivered 17 of 42 reform decisions needed to unlock $29.5 billion in partner funding
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi reported on September 30 that the Cabinet of Ministers has fulfilled 17 of 42 planned decisions required by international partners, with the remaining 25 due by October 15. He called an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, for October 12 to consider the necessary draft laws and warned that delays could jeopardize $29.5 billion in international assistance.
Key points
- Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said on September 30 that the Cabinet of Ministers has completed 17 of 42 decisions required to unlock international partner funding.
- The remaining 25 decisions are to be completed by October 15, according to the prime minister.
- The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has been called to an extraordinary session on October 12 to consider the required draft laws.
- Koretskyi warned that delays could put at risk $29.5 billion in international assistance and that fulfilling the commitments is critical to Ukraine's defense and state resilience.
- The government has moved to a maximum-economy mode, deferring non-priority expenditures, but the prime minister said this alone is insufficient.
- On September 16, the Verkhovna Rada adopted seven of the critically needed bills in first reading before going on an almost month-long break, with deputies previously scheduled to return on October 13.
Why it matters
The 42 commitments are a precondition for releasing $29.5 billion in international partner funding that Ukraine's budget critically depends on. Failure to meet the October 15 deadline could jeopardize financing tied to Ukraine's defense and its capacity to withstand the ongoing Russian invasion, and the extraordinary Verkhovna Rada session on October 12 raises the political stakes for lawmakers at a moment when the budget situation is described as the most strained since 2022.
What happened
On September 30, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi reported that the Cabinet of Ministers has fulfilled 17 of 42 planned decisions required to unlock international partner funding. At its September 30 meeting the government adopted four additional decisions toward these commitments. The remaining 25 decisions are to be completed by October 15, and the government has initiated an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, for October 12 to consider the necessary draft laws. Koretskyi said the government has shifted to a maximum-economy mode and deferred all non-priority expenditures, but added that this is not sufficient on its own. He warned that delays risk jeopardizing $29.5 billion in international assistance and that Ukraine's defense, state resilience and ability to resist Russia depend on meeting the commitments. On September 16, the Verkhovna Rada had adopted seven of the critically needed bills in first reading before going on an almost month-long break, with deputies previously scheduled to return to the session hall on October 13.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets center domestic officials — Prime Minister Koretskyi, President Volodymyr Zelensky, Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko and Verkhovna Rada Budget Committee head Roksolana Pidlas — as the main speakers. Coverage frames the story as a question of governmental and parliamentary accountability, focused on the 17-of-42 progress figure, the October 15 deadline and the October 12 extraordinary session. The link between reform commitments and partner funding is presented through the prime minister's own statements as a matter of Ukraine's defense capacity and resilience against Russia.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the spelling of the prime minister's surname, with some rendering it 'Koretsky' and others 'Koretskyi', and on the transliteration of his given name. Sources also frame the date of the requested Verkhovna Rada session differently: most report October 12 as the date of the extraordinary session, while one reports that deputies are scheduled to return to the session hall on October 13 after the nearly month-long break.
Background
Ukraine has faced an increasingly strained budget situation through August and September 2026. On August 24, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the budget deficit for army needs stood at $27 billion, a figure Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara reiterated on August 29. On September 1, Koretskyi announced a strict regime of budget savings for funds not tied to defense. On September 2, Budget Committee head Roksolana Pidlas reported that the state budget had received UAH 33.1 billion less in revenues than planned for January–August 2026. On September 4, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said Ukraine had not faced such a tense budget situation since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. On September 14, Koretskyi warned that delays could put at risk $29.5 billion in international assistance. On September 15, European Commissioners Valdis Dombrovskis and Marta Kos sent MPs a list of laws Ukraine must adopt to receive already-agreed EU funding, responding to Ukraine's request for an additional $27 billion for defense. On September 25, Koretskyi said he had met with the Ministry of Defense on closing the additional $27 billion defense request for the year. EU Commission President von der Leyen and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva have publicly stressed the importance of reforms linked to further financing and EU integration progress.