Ukraine says finalised talks with IMF on 2021 budget

Ukraine's finance ministry has successfully finalised talks with the International Monetary Fund on the draft of the 2021 budget, it said on Thursday, a key condition for starting talks with the multilateral lender on the next tranche.

Ukraine secured a $5 billion loan deal with the IMF in June to fight a sharp economic slowdown. But the IMF has postponed its mission to Kyiv while waiting for clear signals that the authorities will continue reforms.

"The parameters of the 2021 budget coincide with the assessments of the Fund's specialists, which was important for the continuation of successful cooperation between Ukraine and the IMF," the ministry said in a statement.