The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday recommended releasing another $500 million to Ukraine, crediting the country’s economic resilience despite more than three years of full-scale war with Russia.
The payment is part of a $15.5 billion IMF bailout agreed last year. After a mission to Ukraine, the Fund said Kyiv had met all its targets and performance criteria through March and called on its executive board to approve the new disbursement—a step that is typically a formality.
If confirmed, the new funds would bring total IMF disbursements to nearly $10.7 billion under the program.
“The economy remains resilient despite the challenges arising from more than three years of war,” said IMF mission chief Gavin Gray. He forecast “modest” growth of 2–3% in 2025, despite “headwinds from labor constraints and damage to energy infrastructure.”
However, Gray warned that inflation had risen sharply, hitting 15.1% in April, driven by higher food and labor costs.
The IMF said Ukraine’s economic outlook “remains exceptionally uncertain as the war continues to take a heavy toll,” but added that the program is “on track and fully financed on the back of large-scale external commitments.”
