Peace requires a strong army – Poroshenko revealed where he can find over half a trillion hryvnias for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In a video address, Petro Poroshenko called on the government to direct all available resources and efforts toward strengthening the military capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
He emphasized that only a strong army will enable diplomats to force Putin to agree to a ceasefire. According to the fifth President, this should be reflected, first and foremost, in the Government’s Action Program and the draft State Budget for 2027. As of now, Poroshenko notes, over half a trillion hryvnias of non-targeted expenditure in the draft budget reflect the government’s real priorities. European Solidarity has amended the budget and is demanding that these funds be allocated exclusively to the defense sector.
“In recent days, our political force has found itself at the epicenter of public debate about peace, instead of raising the issue with the authorities, who bear the full weight of responsibility and who have every authority to seek peace. Our team strictly adheres to key ideological principles: the army, language, faith, NATO, the European Union. No demilitarization of Ukraine, no Russian veto on the size and armament of the Ukrainian Armed Forces or our military-industrial complex. Moscow will not determine our language and cultural policy, and there will be no FSB fifth column disguised as a church. This is a matter of sovereignty and national security,” Poroshenko emphasized.
“But we finally need to speak honestly with the country about the war and how to end it. Unfortunately, the government has a major problem with its strategy,” Poroshenko stated.
“A war of attrition cannot continue indefinitely. We need a position in the war that can force Putin to engage in real negotiations, to a ceasefire on land, in the air, and at sea,” Poroshenko said. He added that the peace process between Ukraine and Russia could last for decades, and Ukrainians should not be dying during that time.
“Does our team have a plan? I repeat, it’s an immediate, unconditional, and comprehensive ceasefire. The authorities now agree with this. And we are ready to assist them in this, both as the opposition and even as potential participants in the national unity coalition, which the authorities refuse to even discuss. When they realize they were wrong,” the party leader stated.
“A ceasefire doesn’t mean recognizing the occupation or giving up our territories. First, cease fire. Bring all partners on board. Then negotiate for as long as necessary. But Ukraine must use every day of silence to rearm its army, develop its own defense industry, produce missiles, drones, air defense systems, anti-tank missiles, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition, restore the economy, and strengthen our alliances,” Poroshenko believes.
“If we truly want to force Russia to cease fire, this must be reflected in the 2027 State Budget. The budget must demonstrate to Russia that Ukraine is capable of fighting, that our army will have weapons, people, ammunition, and technology, and that the Kremlin’s bet on our exhaustion will definitely not work,” Poroshenko noted.
“We’ve identified 515 billion hryvnias in additional resources that can and should be used exclusively for supporting the army. We also propose leaving more military income tax directly to the brigades. That’s 33 billion hryvnias, which are being transferred to combat units,” Poroshenko said.
“We propose freeing up 87 billion hryvnias by revising government spending. During a war, the state cannot increase the comfort of the bureaucracy faster than the capabilities of the Armed Forces. Another reserve is spending on consumption and the development of ministries and agencies. We’re talking about 161.5 billion. We also propose cutting back on spending, which the country can do without during a war. 41 billion for roads, 35 billion for the next cash payment programs, 16 billion for ‘3,000 kilometers,’ 10 billion for screening, 9.4 billion for cashback, investment, and industrial parks. 1.62 billion for the telethon,” Poroshenko explains.
“And finally, the 200 billion hryvnias of the security and defense sector reserve and the 46 billion hryvnias of the Reserve Fund—everything the state can mobilize to strengthen defense—should be used for defense. This is precisely the budget of a country that doesn’t simply talk about a ceasefire, but creates the conditions under which Russia will be forced to agree to it,” Poroshenko believes.
He also once again reminded the authorities of their unfulfilled obligations to European partners, who are financing the huge budget deficit.
“This is a question of the state’s financial sustainability during wartime. European funds support macro-financial stability, the functioning of the state, and the fulfillment of its social obligations. And this will allow us to devote more of our own resources to our main priority – the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Why, of all the bills on the table, has the government not even submitted half of them? Why don’t we prioritize rebooting the State Bureau of Investigation, a transparent mechanism for establishing the Office of the Prosecutor General, the rule of law, judicial independence, and ensuring democracy? These are also demands of the European Union, the European Commission, and the European Parliament. For us, European integration, financial support for partners, and strengthening the army are all part of a single strategy – to make Ukraine strong, so that Russia understands that continuing the war will not yield results. We need strength not instead of diplomacy, but for diplomacy. Then we will achieve results,” Petro Poroshenko emphasized.