Ukraine’s 2024 draft budget does not allocate funds for presidential elections. This detail was shared by a Ukrainian lawmaker, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, on his Telegram channel, drawing attention to how the government plans to finance upcoming electoral processes.
A member of Parliament published a screenshot of a document indicating that the 2024 budget for the Central Election Commission of Ukraine will be lower than in earlier years, raising questions about whether the necessary resources for elections will be available. The absence of election costs in the draft budget complicates planning for candidates, voters, and election administrators who rely on predictable funding cycles.
“Now the guessing game ends: next year’s election expenses are not funded,” Zheleznyak stated, underscoring concerns about how the electoral process will be funded in the absence of dedicated budget lines.
Zheleznyak compared the current funding level to past elections, noting that in 2019, when presidential elections took place, the CEC’s budget stood at 4 billion hryvnias, roughly 108.3 million US dollars at the time. This historical reference is used to illustrate how election financing has fluctuated and to highlight the potential gap between past and present funding. The comparison serves as a baseline for observers assessing the sustainability of electoral administration under the new budget framework.
Earlier, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal announced that the government had approved the 2024 budget and emphasized defense as the central priority. More than half of the total budget resources were earmarked for national defense, totaling 1 trillion 685 billion hryvnias, about 45.6 billion US dollars. The prime minister highlighted that this allocation represents an increase of 113 billion hryvnias compared with the current year, signaling a substantial shift in fiscal focus toward security and military needs amid ongoing regional tensions and security challenges.
There were also discussions about foreign aid allocations, with some attention paid to debates in international discourse on how assistance to Ukraine should be prioritized in the broader regional context. A note on external expectations mentioned discussions about redirecting certain funds, some observers interpreted as a broader conversation about how foreign aid could be adjusted in response to evolving geopolitical circumstances. This debate reflects the wider dynamic of how international partners balance support for Ukraine with other strategic priorities in the region. [Source attribution: official budget documents and government briefings; public statements by officials; international aid discussions]n
In summary, the 2024 draft budget reflects a clear prioritization of defense and security over other areas, while questions remain about the financing of electoral administration and whether the Central Election Commission will receive the necessary resources for orderly and transparent elections. The dialogue around election funding continues to unfold as lawmakers review the full budget package, assess potential gaps, and consider how best to ensure the integrity and efficiency of Ukraine’s upcoming electoral cycle. [Citations: official documents and statements from government sources]n