Ukraine’s 2027 Budget Proposal Faces Over 5,000 Amendments with 99% Rejected; Opposition Demands Increased Military and IDP Support

Debate Over Ukraine’s 2027 State Budget Proposal

According to 5 канал — Економіка: The draft of Ukraine’s 2027 state budget has sparked intense debate due to its failure to incorporate a record number of proposed changes and its insufficient funding for the military. Lawmakers submitted 5,236 amendments to the bill, but the budget committee dismissed 99% of them. The budget passed its first reading with the backing of 239 members of parliament. Meanwhile, opposition parties are pushing for a reallocation of funds to bolster the Armed Forces and provide greater assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), alongside calls to raise military salaries and reassess the minimum living standards.

Concerns Over Pensions and Wages

Ukraine currently has over 10 million pensioners, nearly one million of whom receive the minimum pension of 2,500 hryvnias. The 2027 budget proposal only plans to increase this minimum pension by 238 hryvnias. Wage disparities across sectors are extreme, sometimes ranging from 40 to 100 times between similar jobs. Military personnel have not seen a pay raise in five years, and the proposed budget does not include inflation indexing for their salaries.

The opposition suggests redirecting 515 billion hryvnias from expenditures on judges, prosecutors, the Presidential Office, the telethon, and cashback programs toward the Armed Forces and support for IDPs. They also urge capping the incomes of rear-line officials to ensure they do not exceed frontline soldiers’ compensation. Additional demands include revising the subsistence minimum and increasing military payments starting January 1, 2027. The opposition further calls for halting the diversion of community funds intended for shelters and teacher bonuses.

The "European Solidarity" faction has threatened to block the budget’s passage if their demands for increased military pay are ignored. Its leader, Petro Poroshenko, emphasized the need to return Kyiv’s budgetary funds that were previously withheld and to pass bill No. 9358, which addresses systematic financing for building and upgrading shelters. Poroshenko highlighted that after five years of full-scale war, the issue of accessible civilian shelters remains unresolved.

“Today, Ukraine has over 10 million pensioners, with nearly one million receiving the minimum pension of 2,500 hryvnias. Yet, in the 2027 budget draft, the minimum pension rises by only 238 hryvnias, while some pensions reach hundreds of thousands. Equally troubling is the wage gap, which can be 40 to 100 times even among workers performing the same tasks.”

Irina Herashchenko

The state budget’s reserve fund is nearly depleted at 96%, raising serious concerns about the country’s financial stability. This precarious situation demands urgent policy adjustments and a reassessment of spending priorities amid ongoing conflict and social challenges.

Discussions surrounding the 2027 budget underscore Ukraine’s complex financial hurdles, especially the critical need for robust military funding during wartime. The growing budget deficit and shrinking reserve funds threaten both social cohesion and national security. Escalating income inequality driven by uneven pay and pensions risks sparking further public unrest, necessitating swift government action.

As the debate surrounding the budget intensifies, the focus on defense and social welfare remains critical. For a deeper understanding of how these priorities are shaping Ukraine's fiscal landscape, explore our detailed coverage on the ongoing developments in the 2027 state budget proposal.