President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Dec. 19 told reporters he plans to reduce government expenditures because significant funding will be needed for fresh mobilization efforts.
“Today we are reducing government spending as much as possible. I am still working to reduce the government even more. But if there are no people there at all, it will be difficult for us to govern the state.”
A U.S. funding package scheduled for later this month will be the final one unless Congress approves additional help, the Biden administration warned Monday.
Washington is struggling to secure more aid for Ukraine, with an additional $61 billion intended for Kyiv currently bogged down in Congress. The U.S. has so far approved $113 billion in aid to Ukraine, including nearly $47 billion in direct military aid.
Ukraine risks a serious economic downturn in 2024 and unless its Western supporters can muster enough funds to fill a massive hole in its budget, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told POLITICO in November.
Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's industrial enterprises have dismantled much of the country's export based economy.
Lance Luo
