Zhelezniak: "I will vote for 2026 Budget with red button"
People's Deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak announced that during the vote on the 2026 Budget, he would press the red button (against).
He wrote about this on Facebook, according to Censor.NET.
He explained that he does not understand how, during the fourth year of full-scale war, it is possible to leave large "holes" in the financing of the Armed Forces and the minimum salaries of military personnel.
The MP also criticizes spending on social initiatives and populist programs, in particular:
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marathon
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cashback
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distribution of "1000 UAH"
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strategic communications worth 4 billion
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roads
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other populist spending
Zhelezniak stressed that such a budget complicates obtaining financing from international partners, and the IMF's requirements for financial discipline remain highly questionable.
"The second reading of the budget is solely the responsibility of the deputies. I hope you will understand my position with the red button," the MP wrote.
He also noted that about 240 votes of a different opinion will push for green.
Draft State Budget for 2026
On November 5, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the draft state budget for 2026 for the second reading, taking into account the proposals of the parliament. At the same time, Yaroslav Zhelezniak (Voice), first deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Tax and Customs Policy, noted that a number of proposals from deputies had not been taken into account.
The Verkhovna Rada was supposed to pass the law "On the State Budget of Ukraine for 2026" by November 20. However, the vote was postponed for at least two weeks, until early December.
Among the reasons, deputies cite a lack of support in the chamber due to the crisis caused by the scandal surrounding the president's associates' involvement in corruption at Energoatom, as well as unresolved differences with the government on certain budget provisions.
