The Head of the National Bank of Ukraine, Andriy Pyshny, stated that the country hopes to gain access to frozen assets of the Russian Federation in 2026 to cover the budget deficit. This step is part of a strategy that has allowed the avoidance of emission financing for the budget deficit during 2023-2024.
This is reported by Бізнес • Медіа
Pyshny noted:
“And this remains our unwavering priority”
. For 2025, Ukraine already has secured international assistance; however, the funding issue for 2026 remains open.
The Need for Access to Assets
Ukraine is counting on access to frozen Russian assets to balance the budget, as the losses from the war inflicted by Russia reached $176 billion by the beginning of 2025, while the cost of rebuilding the country is approximately $524 billion.
The Head of the NBU believes that access to Russian assets would be a fair step to compensate for the damages caused by the aggressor.
“We hope that 2026 will be the year when our country receives funding, including from the ‘body’ of Russian assets”
, emphasized Pyshny.
Expectations from the European Union
Additionally, Ukraine hopes to receive a response from the European Union soon regarding its desire to reclaim $300 billion of Russian assets that remain frozen in Western countries.