Danylo Hetmantsev, head of the Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, has defended the proposed 50% profit tax on banks for 2026, arguing that the sector’s record profits during the war justify the measure. Hetmantsev pointed to the successful implementation of a similar tax increase from 2023 to 2024 as proof that the move is feasible and not as far-fetched as opponents claim. The National Bank of Ukraine and the banking sector had previously opposed the tax increase, but Hetmantsev says their arguments are refuted by past experience.