Topic: Parliament
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EU commissioners set conditions in letter to Ukrainian lawmakers on extra defence funding
European commissioners have sent a letter to Ukrainian members of parliament setting out the conditions under which the EU would provide additional financing, responding to Ukraine's request for an extra $27 billion in defence funding. The letter, signed by Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, spells out legislative commitments Ukraine must meet under the Ukraine Facility and Ukraine Support Loan programmes.
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Ukraine’s Prosecutor General announces suspicion against NABU director, then leaves the country; Zelensky moves to dismiss him
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, who had resigned a week earlier amid the NABU/SAPO “Carthage” operation against his own office, announced on 14 September that he had signed a notice of suspicion against NABU director Semen Kryvonos. The same night he left Ukraine. President Zelensky publicly called for his immediate dismissal, submitted the motion to the Verkhovna Rada, and signed a decree suspending him under martial-law provisions. The European Commission said it was aware of the events and stressed that independent anti-corruption bodies are a cornerstone of the rule of law in Ukraine.
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Japanese House Speaker Eisuke Mori makes first visit to Ukraine, greeted by Verkhovna Rada chairman
Eisuke Mori, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Japanese Parliament, arrived in Ukraine on September 14 on his first visit to the country. He was met at a Kyiv railway station by Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. The two had met the previous day on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Paris.
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Ukraine's daily war cost rises to $190 million, budget chief says
Roksolana Pidlasa, head of the Verkhovna Rada budget committee, said at the Yalta European Strategy conference in Kyiv that one day of war now costs Ukraine $190 million — $50 million more than in 2024. She warned that domestic resources are running short of defense needs and that Russian strikes have driven a VAT revenue shortfall.
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Ukraine risks losing part of $29.5 billion in foreign financing without parliamentary votes, PM Koretsky warns
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky warned that Ukraine risks losing a significant portion of an anticipated $29.5 billion in international financing if the Verkhovna Rada delays the required legislation, and said the government will send parliament a schedule with clear deadlines for each vote. He described the country's state finances as close to critical and said the government plans to complete its own share of 42 commitments by October 15, having accelerated the timeline from the previously announced November 1 deadline.
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Ukraine plans $2–3 billion war-risk insurance fund for businesses, partly funded by VAT hike
Ukraine's Minister of Economy Oleksandr Kravchenko announced plans for a $2–3 billion insurance fund to compensate businesses for losses from Russian attacks, with payouts targeted to begin on January 1, 2027. The government proposes funding part of the fund by raising VAT from 20% to 21%, a politically sensitive move that has not yet been finalized.
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Ukraine's PM outlines $56.5 billion in year-end financial needs, split between macrofinancing and defense
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky told the Yalta European Strategy forum that Ukraine faces two urgent financial challenges by year-end: $29.5 billion in confirmed macrofinancing at risk of not being received, and an additional $27 billion needed for defense forces. The government pledged to finish its part of the work by mid-October, including submitting required draft laws in September and finalizing all Cabinet resolutions by October 15, while calling on parliament to pass 27 outstanding bills.
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Russian drones hit two Kyiv petrol stations, killing two civilians
Russian drone strikes on the morning of September 11 hit two Ukrnafta petrol stations in Kyiv's Dnipro and Obolon districts, killing two people and injuring several others. The Obolon station was hit twice. It was the second consecutive day of strikes on Ukrnafta fuel sites in the capital.
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Ukraine's Prosecutor General Kravchenko resigns amid NABU 'Carthage' corruption probe
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko submitted his resignation on the evening of 7 September after NABU and SAPO exposed a criminal organization within the Office of the Prosecutor General accused of protecting fraudulent call centers. First Deputy Prosecutor General Maria Vdovychenko also resigned. The president has not yet formally submitted the dismissal to the Verkhovna Rada.
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Ukraine's government submits three more draft laws to parliament tied to international financing
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved and sent to the Verkhovna Rada three draft laws needed to attract international financing and cover the state budget deficit. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky described the deficit situation as serious and called on lawmakers, regardless of political affiliation, to vote on the package as quickly as possible.
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Ukraine's Prosecutor General Kravchenko resigns amid 'Carthage' corruption investigation
On the evening of September 7, Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko submitted his resignation, the same day he had earlier told journalists he would not step down voluntarily. The resignation comes against the backdrop of the NABU and SAP "Carthage" special operation, which exposed an alleged criminal organization within the Office of the Prosecutor General accused of systematically receiving bribes from fraudulent call centers and laundering proceeds.
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Ukraine's 2027 budget has $32.6 billion uncovered financing need, finance minister says
Ukraine's Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said the country's 2027 budget faces an uncovered financing need of $32.6 billion — the tightest budget situation since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. He called on European partners to seek additional sources of financing and presented a new proposal to redistribute roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian assets across all 27 EU member states.
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Ukrainian lawmaker registers bill on state protection for wartime Stavka and RNBO members
A bill has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada providing state protection for members of the Commander-in-Chief's Staff and the National Security and Defense Council who exercised their powers during wartime. The initiative, authored by Roman Kostenko, also proposes lifetime protection for the wartime president and would expand the State Protection Directorate's authorized headcount.
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NABU and SAP launch 'Carthage' operation targeting prosecutor's office official over alleged call-center scheme
On September 4, Ukraine's NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) announced a special operation codenamed "Carthage" aimed at exposing a criminal organization allegedly led by an official of the Office of the Prosecutor General. The group is suspected of providing cover for a network of fraudulent call centers and laundering assets. According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, Serhiy Kropyva, head of the OPG's cyber department, was detained. The OPG said it is cooperating with investigators and has suspended the suspect.
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Ukraine's government submits four draft laws tied to €1.45 billion EU tranche
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved and sent to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, four draft laws that are conditions for receiving the third €1.45 billion tranche of EU macro-financial assistance and are tied to broader obligations to the EU and IMF. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced the move, framing it as necessary for unlocking a significant portion of the $29.5 billion in expected partner assistance.
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Hungary's Magyar ties support for Ukraine's EU accession to minority rights deal
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on 3 September that Budapest will only back further progress in Ukraine's EU accession talks if a bilateral agreement on Hungarian minority rights in Ukraine is implemented. His comments came as Ukraine said it had met the conditions to open the second and third negotiating clusters, and as the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, unanimously adopted a statement condemning Soviet-era crimes in Transcarpathia.
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Ukrainian parliament fails for second time to pass bill ending VAT exemption for parcels under €150
The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, voted down bill No. 15460, which would have abolished the VAT exemption for international parcels valued at up to €150. The bill received 194 votes in favour, 32 short of the number needed for passage. The failure leaves a key condition for IMF and EU financial assistance unmet.