Zelenskyy pushes for faster partner deals, dismisses prosecutor general and tightens budget as EU deadlines loom

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is demanding that Ukraine's government machinery move faster on international agreements, while simultaneously reshuffling key officials and tightening fiscal policy — all against the backdrop of a looming EU funding deadline and new German air defence pledges.

In a blunt message on social media on 31 August, Zelenskyy said ministries and the President's Office must "demonstrate a much faster pace and fully follow through on what we discussed at the leaders' level." He named the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Economy as the key bodies responsible for securing support from partners in defence, energy, social programmes and the economy. He also called on the Ministry of Veterans Affairs to step up work on veterans' programmes with international backing (Ukrainska Pravda).

Zelenskyy's push for speed comes as Ukraine races to meet conditions tied to the EU's Ukraine Facility. On 31 August, he signed decree No. 843/2026 appointing Denys Kovalenko as a judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court, completing a process that began on 21 August with the appointment of 11 judges and five appeals chamber judges. Bohdan Kryklyvenko, Chief of Staff of the High Anti-Corruption Court, explained that 16 of the 17 selected judges were appointed then because the submission for Kovalenko had been prepared later. The appointment removes a key obstacle to unlocking between €250 million and €300 million in EU funding, with a deadline around 17 September (Ukrainska Pravda).

The urgency is not limited to EU funds. On 14 September, Zelenskyy asked parliament to support the dismissal of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, saying: "There is only one path for this prosecutor general: dismissal from office. That is precisely what I told him. Ukraine has seen all the reasons." He added that if Kravchenko considers this political pressure, he is free to call it that, and urged MPs to act "urgently." The move follows Kravchenko's announcement that he had signed a notice of suspicion against Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), and accused NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of seizing case files during searches linked to anti-corruption Operation Carthage (Ukrainska Pravda).

On the fiscal front, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi announced on 1 September that the government is introducing strict austerity measures for all budget funds not earmarked for defence. The measures have already identified UAH 70 billion (about $1.6 billion) in savings, which will be redirected to defence. "We must fulfil all necessary social commitments. Therefore, there will be no problems with pensions or salaries," Koretskyi said, adding that the government will apply the same principle of maximum savings when drafting the 2027 state budget (Ukrainska Pravda).

The austerity push is linked to a broader discussion with the International Monetary Fund on the 2027 budget and a planned revision of the 2026 budget due to additional defence needs. In a related development, the government is considering tax increases to insure businesses against Russian attacks, according to a report on 12 September (Ukrainska Pravda).

On the security front, Zelenskyy announced after a call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz that new air defence packages from Germany will arrive this month. The conversation also touched on the Russian attack on an airfield in Leipzig and the finalisation of a "Drone Deal" between the two countries. "I also thanked Friedrich for Germany's steadfast support and leadership in protecting the lives of Ukrainians," Zelenskyy wrote. The announcement comes as Ukraine has requested to use several billion euros from a €90 billion EU loan to purchase PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has urged member states to provide interceptor missiles, including those nearing shelf-life expiry (Ukrainska Pravda).

These developments underscore a broader pattern: Ukraine is simultaneously trying to meet international conditions, tighten its own finances and secure the weapons it needs — all while managing a high-stakes anti-corruption drive that has now claimed a prosecutor general. The coming weeks will test whether Zelenskyy's demands for speed translate into tangible results before the EU deadline passes.