von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen is a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). She served as Federal Minister of Defence of Germany from 2013 to 2021 before becoming President of the European Commission in December 2019.
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Ukraine's government prioritises defence and social spending, postpones non-essential projects
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved a decision defining priorities for state expenditures amid a difficult fiscal situation, Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky said on 28 September 2026. Defence, pensions, social payments, and salaries for teachers, doctors and other public-sector workers will be funded first, while new construction, reconstruction, non-critical capital repairs, and beautification projects such as parks, squares, fountains and repaving of cobblestones are being postponed. Koretsky said part of planned international financing has not yet arrived, partly because Ukraine has not met some of its commitments to international partners.