Cabinet postponed most unprotected budget expenditures to December

The Ukrainian government has decided to postpone to December most of the unprotected expenditures of the state budget. The reason is delays in the receipt of financing, which the head of the Verkhovna Rada's Finance Committee, Danylo Hetmantsev, links to the parliament's failure to fulfill Ukraine's international obligations.

This was reported by Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy.

"The government has decided to postpone most unprotected expenditures to December. This decision is due to funding delays resulting from the Verkhovna Rada's disruption of Ukraine's international obligations," — he said.

Thus, not all budget payments are being halted, but the timing of funding for part of the expenditures not related to protected budget items is being shifted. A significant portion of them, instead of being financed in the coming months, should be carried out at the end of the budget year.

Hetmantsev did not specify which budget programs are subject to the postponement. He also did not name the total amount of expenditures the government has decided to defer until December, nor how much international financing will arrive later than originally planned.

The committee head, however, directly linked the problem to Ukraine's fulfillment of obligations to international partners. Much external budget support is provided after agreed conditions and reforms are met, so delayed necessary decisions can shift the timeline for the state budget to receive funds.

Hetmantsev had previously warned that Verkhovna Rada decisions directly affect receipt of necessary international financing and the state's ability to meet its obligations on time. He specifically mentioned payments to the military, public sector workers, and pensioners, urging the parliament not to delay implementing the required measures.

The statement on postponed expenditures means the government has to redistribute available financial resources within the year and defer lower-priority payments until expected financing arrives. Hetmantsev's statement does not suggest that legally mandated expenditures are being canceled: it is about changing their funding timeline.

It remains unknown whether the government will need to additionally revise the 2026 state budget and whether all postponed expenditures will be fully financed by the end of December. Hetmantsev also did not specify when the delayed external financing is expected to be unblocked.