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Ukraine's parliament has voted for several bills on Oct. 13 linked to Western funding, as the government seeks to secure billions in financial assistance.
Delays in fulfilling international commitments put 29.5 billion euros ($33 billion) in funding at risk, prompting the government to suspend non-essential spending. Parliament must pass around 30 bills by year's end to secure the funds, with votes on some of them expected this week.
On Oct. 13, lawmakers supported three bills in the first reading linked to funding from the International Monetury Fund (IMF) and the EU under the Ukraine Facility — an EU financial assistance program launched in 2024.
These include bills to cap borrowing costs, restrict courts' access to bank secrecy, and simplify value-added tax (VAT) administration for businesses.
A long-debated bill on the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), aimed at aligning Ukraine’s financial monitoring rules with European Union standards, was also due to be considered. Some lawmakers from the ruling Servant of the People party who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 12 were optimistic about its chances of passing.
However, the bill was ultimately pulled from the agenda for a first-reading vote after it became clear it lacked sufficient support, according to several lawmakers.
"I think it's absolute nonsense (not to vote for the bill). It's a European directive in every detail," pro-government lawmaker Mykyta Poturaiev told the Kyiv Independent.
Lawmakers are expected to continue voting on other key bills on Oct. 14.
Months of slow progress on legislation and reforms linked to Western funding has pushed the government to step up its engagement with lawmakers.
Since taking office this summer, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi has held several discussions with lawmakers on the issue. On Oct. 12, he met with members of President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party alongside Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko.
Yet securing support for some of the required reforms remains uncertain.
Some lawmakers who spoke with the Kyiv Independent doubted the anti-corruption strategy, which lays out Ukraine's vision anti-corruption policy for 2026–2030, would garner enough support.
Other rule-of-law reforms have also stalled in parliament.