Yaroslav Zheleznyak
On October 28, the Verkhovna Rada approved the 2027 budget with 239 votes. Priorities include defense, social benefits, and pay increases for military personnel.
A total of 232 deputies voted for the budget conclusions. The document contains 90 proposals concerning 5,236 amendments ahead of the first reading of the budget.
The Verkhovna Rada is considering the 2027 budget in its first reading. Lawmakers submitted a record 5,236 amendments, with the vote on the bill in principle scheduled for today.
The Verkhovna Rada, by a vote of 281, extended general mobilization for another 90 days starting October 31, 2026. Earlier, Parliament extended martial law.
During the next plenary week, the Verkhovna Rada will consider the 2027 budget and a number of laws to fulfill commitments to the EU and the IMF. The anti-corruption strategy may be withdrawn due to a lack of votes, putting €18 billion from the EU at risk.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee supported Amendment No. 1279 on increasing military personnel’s salaries. The final decision must be adopted by Parliament and implemented by the government.
The Norwegian government confirmed Zelenskyy’s talks with Witkoff and Kushner in Oslo, with the participation of the leaders of Norway and Finland. Witkoff will attend in person, Kushner remotely.
The Cabinet of Ministers has postponed a resolution to reduce the reservation quota for employees of critical enterprises from 100% to 85%. Businesses warn of staffing risks.
Think tanks and businesses have criticized changes to the reservation rules due to risks to the defense industry, infrastructure, and the economy. The government will hold consultations.
Industry associations are calling for a review of the new rules for reserving employees. They predict a loss of specialists, a halt to production, and contracts being disrupted.
Lawyers report delays and returns of bail payments for the HACC, while the media suggest a possible connection between the problems and the situation surrounding NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyi.
The government removed from the meeting agenda the resolution on reducing the reservation quotas. The document is planned to be revised after consultations with businesses.
Changes to the reservation rules could deprive the aviation industry of key specialists and derail defense contracts. Businesses are calling for the current rules to be preserved.
The Rada adopted customs and tax changes: VAT on such parcels will be charged from the first euro. The new rules will take effect no earlier than July 2027.
The Verkhovna Rada passed a law on VAT for international online purchases regardless of their value. Non-commercial parcels worth up to €45 will be exempt from tax.
Lawmakers warn of corruption risks and micromanagement due to the new reserving rules.
A total of 204 MPs voted for the bill from the Ukraine Facility package, while 226 votes were required. The document concerned expediting the consideration of HACC cases.
The Ministry of Economy proposes reducing reservation limits and changing the calculation of quotas. The draft has not yet been adopted, so the rules may change.
The lights went out in the Rada's committees on Lypska Street. In Kyiv, the metro and public transport were partially halted due to a voltage drop.
5,236 amendments were submitted to the 2027 State Budget draft — 1. 5 times more than last year. Two-thirds were called legislative spam.
The Verkhovna Rada Committee approved a bill abolishing the exemption for parcels worth up to €150. The new rules may take effect no earlier than July 1, 2027.
The government plans to raise the minimum wage to 9,546 hryvnias from 2027. The subsistence minimum for one person will be 3,559 hryvnias.
The Verkhovna Rada committee recommended a bill introducing fines of up to UAH 34,000 for vehicles exceeding noise limits during martial law. A vote may take place this week.
Despite the reform and change in the BEB leadership, businesses continue to complain about the Bureau’s actions. The situation involving airlines, against which criminal proceedings were opened due to the interpretation of leasing payments as royalties, is illustrative.
The Rada is testing a backup electronic voting system using MPs’ personal phones during prolonged air-raid alerts. Workstations have been set up in the shelter.
Parliament did not support the bills on VAT for imported parcels from the first euro. The documents were sent back to the Cabinet of Ministers for revision.
The Verkhovna Rada showed the shelter and basement hall where MPs will work during air raids. The final format for voting has not yet been determined.
The Economic Security Bureau says it is abandoning punitive methods and deepening its dialogue with the Business Ombudsman Council. At the same time, the share of complaints against the Bureau in 2025–2026 has not decreased.
An IMF mission is expected in Ukraine starting August 28. Next week, it will assess progress, while parliament will consider the related bills.
The Tax Committee supported draft laws No. 15460 and No. 15112-d for the first reading. The Finance Ministry links the initiative to international commitments.