Sergii Marchenko met with the newly appointed British Ambassador to Ukraine Neil Crompton

On 19 November in Kyiv, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko met with the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain  to Ukraine Neil Crompton.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Finance Oleksandr Kava, Deputy Minister for European Integration Yuriy Draganchuk, and Government Commissioner for Public Debt Management Yuriy Butsa.

The Minister of Finance congratulated the Ambassador on his appointment and expressed confidence in the continued productive cooperation between the two countries.

Sergii Marchenko thanked the United Kingdom for supporting the G7 ERA mechanism, under which the UK has already provided Ukraine with about USD 2 billion. A further USD 1 billion is expected next year. These funds are directed toward the needs of the security and defence sector.

Direct budget support from the United Kingdom since the start of the full-scale invasion has exceeded USD 3 billion, making it the fourth largest contributor among the all countries.

“I am grateful to the United Kingdom for its unwavering support for Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale war – in the financial, military, and humanitarian spheres. Particularly valuable is the UK Government’s systemic assistance in strengthening Ukraine’s defence capabilities, which has enabled us to withstand on the battlefield and continue resisting russian aggression,” noted Sergii Marchenko.

The parties discussed the state of Ukraine’s financial system and budgetary needs for 2026–2027. The Minister of Finance presented the Ambassador with the key parameters of the draft State Budget for 2026. As in previous years, the priority remains expenditures for the security and defence sector – over USD 61 billion (more than 60% of the State Budget).

To finance social and humanitarian needs, the Government requires international support. The uncovered external financing need for 2026–2027 is about USD 61 billion.

Ukraine therefore continues active negotiations with key partners to secure the necessary financing – in particular with the IMF on launching a new cooperation programme. The Government is also awaiting the European Commission’s decision on providing a Reparations Loan, which is a key element of partner financing assurances for next year.

Over almost four years of full-scale war, Ukraine has received more than USD 160 billion in international financial assistance. In 2025, external financing already amounts to around USD 45 billion.

For his part, the Ambassador reaffirmed the UK Government’s commitment to continuing comprehensive support for Ukraine and deepening bilateral cooperation within the framework of the Century Partnership between the two states.