Sergii Marchenko at the G7 financial bloc meeting: Ukraine needs predictable financial support for macroeconomic stability and recovery
On May 18, Ukraine’s Minister of Finance Sergii Marchenko addressed the G7 financial bloc meeting during his working visit to Paris, France.
The meeting brought together finance ministers and central bank governors of G7 member states, as well as leadership of the IMF, the World Bank, other international financial institutions, and the European Commission.
During his speech, the Minister thanked the G7 countries for their consolidated support for Ukraine and stressed that international assistance remains critical for ensuring the functioning of the state, maintaining macroeconomic stability, and financing key social and humanitarian needs.
Sergii Marchenko noted that despite the successful efforts of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to contain the enemy, russia continues its massive attacks against Ukraine’s civilian and energy infrastructure. On May 14 alone, russia launched more than 1,500 drones and ballistic missiles. The Minister emphasized the importance of continued support for Ukraine with air defense systems and ballistic missile interception capabilities.
The Minister of Finance also outlined the current economic challenges caused by the war. In the first quarter of 2026, Ukraine’s GDP declined, while inflation accelerated in April following several months of slowdown. At the same time, Ukraine continues to maintain Stable Budget revenues: State Budget revenues for the first four months of 2026 increased by 17.2% compared to the same period last year.
According to Sergii Marchenko, Ukraine’s total external financing needs for 2026–2027 amount to USD 95 billion, of which USD 52 billion for 2026 has already been secured.
The Minister paid particular attention to the urgent need to finance the restoration of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He stressed the importance of establishing mechanisms to rapidly cover recovery needs ahead of the next winter season.
Sergii Marchenko highly appreciated the EU partners’ decision regarding the Ukraine Support Loan (USL) mechanism, which is expected to become a key instrument for supporting Ukraine’s macrofinancial stability in 2026–2027.
The Minister also reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to continuing reforms and highlighted active cooperation with Parliament and international partners to fulfill the necessary structural benchmarks and ensure the long-term resilience of public finances. An IMF mission is expected to visit Ukraine soon in preparation for the next review under the Extended Fund Facility program.
In conclusion, the Minister of Finance called on partners to create conditions for the use of frozen russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.
Participants of the meeting emphasized that Ukraine continues to demonstrate responsible public financial management, preserve the functioning of the economy, and adapt to wartime challenges, which remains an important factor of international partners’ trust and a foundation for continued support.