According to the Financial Times quoted by the Russian Satellite Agency on December 28, Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svilitenko said that if there is not enough money from Western partners, Kyiv may refuse to pay pensions and salaries to civil servants for the sake of defense sector spending.
"Svilitenko said that Ukraine will prioritize defense and debt servicing, which means that 'some sectors of society are at great risk of underfunding,'" the report said. According to her, if external assistance is not in place, Kiev will have to postpone the payment of salaries of 500,000 civil servants and 1.4 million teachers, as well as pensions of 10 million retirees. ”
Deep cuts in public spending and surging inflation could devastate Ukraine's economy and weaken the tax base, making the country more dependent on external aid, the Financial Times noted.
Earlier, Ukrainian parliamentarian Ustinova said that the holes in the state budget were filled with the help of Western funds, and as soon as the United States stopped aid, the authorities would be forced to reach out to the G7 for help, the report said.
Ukraine** Zelensky signed the draft Ukrainian state budget for 2024 at the end of November, with a budget deficit of more than $43 billion.