Advisor to the Minister of Economy of Ukraine Andriy Telyupa reported that the focus of the Ministry of Economy is on reducing interest rates for strategic sectors of the state. Special attention is given to companies operating in frontline regions, defense industry enterprises, and the energy sector. Due to the increased level of risks, banks often refuse to provide them with loans, and experts cite the insufficient number of guarantees as the main obstacle to expanding lending.
This is reported by Business • Media
State Guarantees and Insurance of War Risks
To improve the situation, the government plans to actively enhance efforts to increase guarantees for businesses to facilitate access to credit resources. One of the key instruments for stimulating lending is the development of the war risk insurance market. A state program is already being implemented to promote this direction. The combination of insurance products with bank loans will make lending cheaper and more accessible for entrepreneurs.
International Support and Establishment of a National Development Institution
At the same time, the Ministry of Economy is actively working to attract support from international partners to ensure the expansion of credit guarantees for businesses. In 2026, Ukraine established a National Development Institution—a domestic equivalent of a development bank. It focuses on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as attracting international financing for these purposes. In particular, the German Development Bank (KfW) allocated 140 million euros to support the National Development Institution.
“One of the priority tasks of the Ministry of Economy at the moment is to reduce interest rates for the most important sectors of the domestic economy. This primarily concerns enterprises in frontline regions, entities of the defense industry, and the energy sector, where banks are often unwilling to provide loans due to increased risks.”