Financial news, budget and personal finances
The President ordered the Minister of Defense to urgently reconstitute the supervisory boards of defense enterprises to ensure full control, instructed the Prime Minister to inform partners; at the same time, changes in the energy sector have been launched.
The EU will add Russia to the list of countries with an increased risk of money laundering and terrorist financing, forcing banks to tighten transaction checks. FATF suspended Russia’s membership, but had not previously placed it on its blacklist.
On December 3, parliament adopted the draft budget for 2026; the document foresees revenues of UAH 2.92 trillion, expenditures of UAH 4.78 trillion, and a significant share of funding for defense.
The initiative to introduce VAT for some individual entrepreneurs has been temporarily removed from the faction’s agenda due to a lack of votes in parliament. Negotiations with the IMF on a new financing program are ongoing in parallel.
Lawmakers are preparing final amendments to the 2026 state budget: part of the personal income tax (PIT) will be transferred to local communities to cover energy costs, additional funds will be allocated to defense and the State Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), and increases in teachers' salaries are planned.
Binance announced the appointment of Yi He as co-CEO alongside Richard Teng. She will be responsible for strategy, engagement with regulators and platform development; the appointment followed the pardon of the previous CEO.
Winter bills often arrive between paychecks and can derail a household budget. Clear prioritization, frugal household practices, and cautious use of microloans help avoid debts and fines.
On December 1, the National Bank of Ukraine introduced TrekSEP into the electronic payments system. The service allows individuals and legal entities to track the status of transfers at any time, from initiation to crediting. From April 1, 2026, UETR will be implemented for participants in the Electronic Payments System.
The European Central Bank has refused to act as lender of last resort for the European Commission’s plan for a €140 billion loan that was to be backed by frozen Russian assets; the Commission is seeking other options to secure liquidity.
The National Bank of Ukraine has begun minting the "We Are Strong. We Are Together" series: the reverse features a stylized map of Ukraine with highlighted oblasts. The first three coins (Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk) were issued on December 1; the series' total mintage is 54 million.
Ukrainian traders have reserved 1.2 million cubic meters per day for December deliveries from Greece — the highest level since the route's launch. At the auction on November 24, more than half of the offered capacity was booked.
U.S. President Donald Trump commuted the sentence of former GPB Capital manager David Gentile, who was convicted in a sprawling financial fraud. Gentile spent less than three weeks in prison; the case involved losses by more than 10,000 investors totaling $1.6 billion.
The National Bank of Ukraine fined microfinance company "Ye Groshi" for applying a daily rate above 1%, charging additional payments and imposing simultaneous penalties. The total fine exceeded UAH 2.8 million, and the company was issued a written warning.
The Ministry of Economy allocated approximately UAH 259.3 million to five industrial parks for the construction of roads, power networks, water supply and treatment facilities under the "Made in Ukraine" program.
In the second phase of assistance, about 2.5 million additional people will receive support, with the total amount exceeding UAH 3 billion. As of December 1, more than 14 million applications have been submitted; applications are being accepted until December 24.
Employees of a municipal medical institution in the capital are suspected of embezzling more than UAH 1.6 million through fictitious records of mobile palliative care. The suspects are a former director and a doctor; authorities are considering pretrial detention.
The National Bank of Ukraine's November 2025 survey showed that about a third of managers expect the sector's condition to worsen over the next six months; the main threat is the war, with corruption rising to second place.
Western diplomats accuse Belgium of reluctance to disclose how tax revenues from frozen Russian reserves are being used, making it harder to verify whether its commitments to Ukraine are being met.
Jakarta rejected terms that threatened the country’s economic sovereignty.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever proposes allocating €45 billion a year to Ukraine through joint borrowing.
The Prosecutor General's Office reported that in Poltava region three city council employees and the director of a private company are suspected of embezzling more than UAH 5 million during the procurement of 70 satellite phones.