Reforms in Ukraine Fail to Meet Expectations Amid Billions in Aid
During a plenary session held from April 7 to 8, 2026, the Ukrainian Parliament discussed a series of reforms directly related to international financing, but managed to pass only one of the four new taxes demanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a new $8.1 billion loan agreement.
From April 7 to 8, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine convened for a plenary session to discuss a range of reforms tied to international financing. Despite high expectations, the parliament was only able to pass one of the four new tax measures required by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of a new credit agreement worth $8.1 billion.
Over the past year, Ukraine has failed to meet deadlines for several reforms associated with international financing. Lawmakers attempted to accelerate their work during this week’s plenary session, but they were unable to advance any of the four bills related to a $3.35 billion World Bank loan, despite the impending deadline of April 20.
While the parliament approved three bills related to funding under the Ukraine Facility program, which could unlock over $1 billion in blocked funds, Kyiv has still not managed to pass another 18 bills, whose deadlines have already passed.
These funds are particularly crucial as Kyiv approaches a significant financial deficit, with Hungary delaying the disbursement of a €90 billion ($107 billion) loan from the European Union.
“Although we passed some laws, the Council voted for less than half of what we hoped for,” stated Volodymyr Tsabal, a deputy from the opposition party Holos. He added, “This shows that the parliament is capable of voting, but I wouldn’t rate the results of this week as positive.”
The two-day voting session in parliament followed weeks of tension between the parliament, the government, and President Volodymyr Zelensky over delays in passing legislation. The dysfunction within the parliament has arisen from several factors, including Zelensky's fragile supermajority, which exists mainly on paper.
On April 8, the parliament did make some progress regarding a new tax on digital platforms—a condition set by the IMF—by passing the first version of the bill. A second vote is expected to take place at the next plenary session scheduled for the end of the month.
As lawmakers are set to reconvene at the end of April, progress may only be achieved in a few weeks, despite increasing pressure on Kyiv to implement reforms in recent weeks.
Brussels has clearly highlighted this week’s plenary session as an opportunity for progress on reforms, while Ukrainian officials will hold meetings with IMF representatives at a high-level conference in Washington.
One of the IMF’s conditions is changes to the simplified tax system for self-employed entrepreneurs, which have yet to be approved by the Ukrainian government. The IMF insists on these changes, arguing that they will improve tax collection and bring more of the economy out of the shadows. However, these changes are unpopular among the Ukrainian public.