The European Union is contemplating making the introduction of an unpopular tax for businesses in Ukraine a condition for receiving part of the payments from the macroeconomic assistance package, Bloomberg learned.
The European Union is considering the possibility of tying the provision of a €90 billion loan to Ukraine to stricter conditions, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, April 29, citing informed sources. According to them, this includes unpopular changes to Ukrainian tax legislation for businesses that the EU may make a condition for disbursing part of the payments.
In particular, a measure is being discussed that would require businesses under a preferential tax regime with annual revenues exceeding 4 million hryvnias (equivalent to just over €77,500) to pay a 20% value-added tax. This measure is considered politically sensitive and affects a significant number of entrepreneurs. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, such a change could bring over 40 billion hryvnias to the budget annually.
The relevant plan is currently being discussed by the European Commission, according to the publication. The changes could affect Kyiv's ability to receive €8.4 billion as part of the so-called macroeconomic assistance, which would allow Ukraine to continue its defensive struggle against Russia, the authors point out.
The issue of financing Ukraine
The €90 billion loan for Ukraine, which has been facing full-scale military aggression from the Russian Federation for five years, was agreed upon back in December 2025 but had long been blocked by the outgoing government of Hungary. After the parliamentary elections in that country, the leader of the victorious opposition party "Tisa," Peter Madyar, promised to end the blockade, adding that Budapest does not plan to participate in the allocation of funds. European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis stated on April 21 that Brussels expects to disburse the first tranche by the end of May - beginning of June.
It was anticipated that after the allocation of €90 billion to Ukraine, the issue of financing this country would not arise until at least 2028; however, on April 24, the online publication The Wall Street Journal reported, citing diplomatic sources, that Kyiv would need an additional €19 billion by 2027 to cover budgetary needs. Thus, the EU may face difficulties in further financing Ukraine as early as this year.
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