Ukrainian minister proposes direct EU funding of armed forces as security measure
Ukrainian finance minister Serhiy Marchenko has proposed that EU member states directly fund the Ukrainian armed forces as an additional defence measure against Russia’s ongoing invasion.
"Today, the Ukrainian army is not only protecting Ukraine, but the whole of Europe," Marchenko said in a government statement published on Telegram. He argued that such defence spending would represent only a small portion of overall EU expenditures.
Link to NATO contributions and long-term support
Marchenko also suggested that this defence support could be counted toward the mandatory defence spending commitments of NATO member states. He noted that funding should continue even in the event of a peace agreement.
"Even if lasting peace is achieved, the main risk to European security from Russia remains," he stated. Supporting Ukraine, he said, should be seen as an investment in Europe’s long-term stability. According to Marchenko, Ukraine’s 2024 budget allocates the equivalent of nearly 25 billion euros for defence.
However, Ukrainian lawmakers warn that actual military spending by year’s end will likely be significantly higher. Foreign donors, including the European Union, already finance more than half of Ukraine’s overall state budget.
“I hope that there are no people in this room who hope for a miracle"
Meanwhile, former commander-in-chief and current Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valery Zaluzhny, tempered expectations for a quick resolution to the conflict. “I hope that there are no people in this room who hope for a miracle, a white swan that will bring peace and the borders of 1991 or 2022 to Ukraine,” he said at an arms conference, according to the published text of his speech.
Russia, he warned, still possesses sufficient force and resources to continue its military aggression. “This is a real war of attrition,” Zaluzhny declared.
© NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP
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