Ukraine prepared to endure conflict until mid‑2025, says minister
Ukraine's Finance Minister, Serhiy Marchenko, confirmed in an interview with "El Pais" that Ukraine has the resources and weaponry to sustain the war until mid-2025.
- We have sufficient funds, weapons, and artillery and missile ammunition to withstand at least until the first half of 2025 - Marchenko stated in an interview with the French newspaper.
The minister emphasised that Ukraine must wisely use this time for negotiations with key allies, particularly the US. He also suggested that Donald Trump's presidency could pose a challenge for Ukraine.
Kyiv needs "very clear security guarantees"
According to the minister, Kyiv needs "very clear security guarantees", which are difficult to envisage outside NATO, as the alternative to such a solution is maintaining a very modern and very strong army.
- We are not able to maintain such a strong army using only our own resources. Currently, we are spending over 26% of our GDP on defence - the Ukrainian minister noted. He added that after the war, the country will need modern weaponry to deter Russia.
As the minister stated, in November, Russia lost a record number of soldiers on the front, yet "it still tries to advance." According to his estimates, the Ukrainian government plans to allocate around £820 million in 2024 for building fortifications and emphasises the production of drones, which play a crucial role in the war with Russia.
