MOSCOW, December 27. /TASS/. Japan has become the third largest donor of aid for Ukraine this year, the Ukrainian government’s press office announced.
"Japan is the third-largest donor of financial aid for Ukraine. In 2023, our budget received $3.7 billion as preferential funding and grants," the government said on its Telegram channel.
Meanwhile, Verkhovna Rada deputy, First Deputy Chairman of the Financial Committee Yaroslav Zheleznyak added that, next year, Kiev expects to receive about $2 billion from Tokyo. He explained that Japan has become the third in terms of funding, allocated for Ukraine. The first place belongs to the EU, who provided $19.93 billion, followed by the US, who provided $10.9 billion. Previously, Zheleznyak announced that Ukraine received a total of $42.5 billion from international partners since the beginning of this year.
The Japanese government has repeatedly announced provision of aid to Ukraine, both directly and through World Bank programs.
The Ukrainian budget for 2024 has a deficit of $43.5 billion. According to the document, Ukraine must receive external donations of $41 billion. However, some expressed their concerns that the budget implies more donations that Western partners are prepared to provide. This concern has intensified recently, because EU leaders were unable to make a decision on the allocation of a 50-billion-euro four-year aid program for Ukraine during the recent EU summit.
This year’s budget also included a record-high deficit, which Ukraine was unable to cover on its own. Meanwhile, the Verkhovna Rada increased military spending twice this year. Former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov noted that the Ukrainian economy can now survive only on foreign financial aid.