Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko has proposed direct funding for the Ukrainian army from EU countries to continue to resist the ongoing Russian invasion since 2022, DPA reported, BTA reported.
"Today, the Ukrainian army provides protection not only for Ukraine, but also for all of Europe," Marchenko wrote on Telegram. He suggested that the costs of the Ukrainian armed forces would represent only a small part of the EU's economic output.
In addition, these defense costs could be included in the mandatory expenditures of NATO member states, the minister also suggested.
The Ukrainian army should be financed from abroad even after a peace agreement with Russia is reached, Marchenko added. "Even if a lasting peace is achieved, the main risk to European security from Russia remains", the minister stressed, adding that support for Ukraine is therefore an investment in the stability of Europe.
Ukrainian's 2024 budget includes about $28 billion for defense. However, members of parliament have pointed out that actual spending will be much higher before the end of the year.
Foreign donors, including the EU, Germany and other Commonwealth countries, already finance more than half of Ukraine's state budget, DPA recalls.