Delays in Meeting Obligations to International Partners: DiXi Group Director Explains Reasons for Non-Compliance

Ukraine is grappling with a negative trend in fulfilling its commitments to international partners, a situation that has been evident since the latter half of 2025. As assessed by the DiXi Group analytical center, by the beginning of March this year, the country had not met 14 indicators of Ukraine's plan, amounting to more than 3.9 billion euros. The situation did not improve in the first quarter of 2026, as five out of eight indicators remain at risk.

Compounding the issue is the challenging relationship with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). At least eight structural benchmarks that were not met in the previous program have carried over into the new four-year program. This creates a risk of delays in receiving over 3 billion dollars from the World Bank, which is critically important for the Ukrainian economy.

Some of these obligations pertain to legislative initiatives that need to be approved by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. Currently, these bills are at various stages of consideration in the parliament, and there is no clear prospect for their adoption. This stagnation is slowing down reforms in key sectors, particularly in energy, which in turn delays budgetary assistance from international partners.

DiXi Group is part of a consortium of four analytical centers, RRR4U, which, with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, monitors the implementation of the IMF program and Ukraine's plan. According to the Ukraine Plan, among the energy benchmarks that need to be fulfilled are several commitments to the IMF that must be completed by the end of 2026.

Overall, non-compliance with obligations in the energy sector has already cost Ukraine approximately 1.8 billion euros, funds that could have entered the budget and served as a source for paying salaries, pensions, scholarships, and other social benefits. This is just the 'tip of the iceberg,' as there are substantial missed opportunities for business and sector development lurking beneath the surface.

Funds from international partners do not flow in automatically for each individual reform or bill passed. Typically, they are disbursed in tranches after Ukraine meets a specific set of obligations (a reform package). For instance, the IMF plans to conduct a program review in June, while the European Commission assesses this quarterly after receiving a report from the government, based on which a decision is made regarding disbursement.

Currently, moving forward on most of these steps requires the passage of laws. This underscores the need to restore the full functioning of parliament and synchronize its actions with the government to regain lost momentum in reforms. Given the wartime context, the state budget requires this funding more than ever to cover salaries for healthcare workers, teachers, social assistance, support programs for vulnerable groups, subsidies, and other essential expenditures.

The preparation of this material was supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.