An IMF spokesperson announced that Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will meet with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, on Monday in Washington as the fund’s executive board gets ready to release additional funds from the nation’s $15.6 billion loan program.
Georgieva’s meeting with Zelenskiy was confirmed by an IMF representative, but the time of the meeting—during which the IMF board will assess Kyiv’s progress on a four-year loan approved earlier this year—was not disclosed.
The IMF last month announced a staff-level agreement with Ukraine on updated economic and financial policies, paving the way for a $900 million disbursement, once it is finalized by the board.
At the time, the IMF said the Ukrainian economy continued to show “remarkable resilience” despite Russia’s invasion in February 2022, with recent developments pointing to a stronger-than-expected economic recovery in 2023 and continued growth in 2024.
Zelenskiy is also scheduled to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional officials while in Washington as he seeks to shore up support for continued U.S. security assistance to help Kyiv continue its fight against Russia’s invasion.
Ukraine has received more than $68.5 billion in budgetary support since the war started, finance ministry data shows.
Its government expects a budget deficit of about $43 billion in 2024 and plans to cover it with domestic borrowing and financial aid from its Western partners. But Ukrainian officials are growing worried about the certainty of financing, and some analysts predict Western aid could start diminishing next year.