New IMF mission begins work in Ukraine: focus on 2027 budget

The International Monetary Fund mission led by Gavin Gray began meetings with Ukrainian authorities and other partners on August 31. One of the key topics will be the draft state budget of Ukraine for 2027.

Fund representatives are to assess the prospects of the Ukrainian economy and discuss the implementation of commitments under the current Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program.

The talks will also cover the macroeconomic and structural reforms that Ukraine has undertaken as part of its cooperation with the IMF. A separate block of discussions will be devoted to the parameters of the budget for the next year.

The current mission follows the completion of the first review of the new four-year EFF program. The IMF Executive Board approved it on July 20, giving Ukraine access to the next tranche of about $690 million.

After this disbursement, the total amount of funds received by Ukraine under the current program reached about $2.2 billion. The total size of the EFF program approved in February 2026 is $8.1 billion.

IMF sees delays in some reforms

Following the first review, the Fund noted that Ukraine met all quantitative performance criteria and indicative targets set for the end of March. At the same time, the implementation of some structural reforms occurred with delays.

Among the key priorities that the IMF insists on are mobilizing domestic budget revenues, combating tax evasion, improving spending efficiency, reforms of state-owned enterprises and banks, strengthening public investment management, and anti-corruption institutions.

The Fund also stressed that the Ukrainian economy remains dependent on large-scale and timely external financial support, and risks to the economic outlook remain exceptionally high due to the war and attacks on critical infrastructure.

Sources: Economichna Pravda, RBC-Ukraine (Anastasia Nykonchuk), IMF