Ukrainians cover half of public, local spending despite war; pensions to rise by 12% in March – Zelenskyy

The annual pension indexation scheduled for March will cover more than 10 million Ukrainian pensioners, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said following a conversation with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

"There will be another annual pension indexation in Ukraine, for more than ten million of our people. Pensioners will receive an increase of more than 12%. The funds have been allocated for this, and the indexation must take place now, in March. Despite all the challenges of the full-scale war, we carry out such indexation every year. No matter how difficult it is, since the first year of the invasion Ukraine has ensured pension indexation, all necessary social payments and the stable functioning of the state's social and financial systems," Zelenskyy said in his evening video address on Friday.

He said this had been made possible, in particular, thanks to tax revenues to the state budget.

"I am grateful to every Ukrainian entrepreneur, all our companies and all Ukrainian businesses that operate in Ukraine, pay taxes in Ukraine, preserve and create jobs and enable the Ukrainian budget to function. At least half of state and local expenditures are covered by Ukrainians despite everything – despite the war, Russian strikes and all the blackouts," the president said.

Zelenskyy called it extremely important both that Ukraine has its own "internal foundations of resilience" and that work with partners provides Ukraine with unprecedented external financing over these years.