Ukraine approves budget giving 60 percent to defense, security

KIEV

In this handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on November 19, 2024, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) addresses members of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev.

Ukrainian lawmakers have voted to approve the government's 2025 budget, in which more than $50 billion, or 60 percent of all expenditure, is allocated to defense and security.

Kiev has been forced to massively ramp up military spending as it fights against Russia's better-resourced army in a war that has now been raging for 1,000 days.

MPs voted to approve defense and security outlays of 2.23 trillion Ukrainian hryvnia ($54 billion), out of a general budget of 3.6 trillion hryvnia ($87 billion).

"Given the limited resources, this budget clearly defines priorities, defense, security, support for people, development and restoration of the country," Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said.

"These are the things that make us stronger and lead to victory."

"All taxes on citizens and businesses next year will be used for the defense and security of our country," Shmygal added in the post on social media.

Moscow's war has battered the Ukrainian economy since February 2022, causing tens of billions of dollars in destruction, punching a huge hole in state finances and forcing Kiev to rely on Western support to keep itself afloat.

In a sign of the challenge faced by Kiev in funding the war, Russia plans to spend three times as much in dollar-terms on its own defence and security next year.

Moscow's draft budget earmarks 13.5 trillion rubles ($135 billion) for defence -- and another 3.5 trillion rubles ($35 billion) for "domestic security".

Ukraine's defense spending in 2025 is only slightly higher than this year's after the country upped its budgeted outlays for 2024 by a third in September.