Populism instead of military aid: where are budget funds spent?

State spending on the implementation of “populist government programs” and various cashbacks has drawn sharp criticism due to the lack of funding for the army. In total, the authorities have allocated 92 billion hryvnias for such initiatives, which could provide for the critical needs of the front.

This was stated on the air of “Pryamoy” by Sofia Fedyna, a People’s Deputy from “European Solidarity”.

She harshly criticized the “Cashback for Fuel” program, which was used by over a million citizens. According to the People’s Deputy, the funds spent on this project should have been directed to the real needs of the front, but instead the authorities chose populist solutions instead of strategically ensuring defense capabilities.

“These seemingly populist decisions, completely non-strategic and those decisions that do not positively affect the development of the state, have already spent a total of over UAH 92 billion, which could once again be directed to targeted support or the needs of the security and defense forces,” the MP emphasized.

At the same time, Fedyna reminded that volunteers are forced to raise funds on their own for equipment and electronic warfare systems for new units, which do not have proper support. In addition, the country faces power outages and problems during the heating season.

The parliamentarian also reported that about 700 million hryvnias remained in the state reserve fund, which is a critically small amount for responding to emergencies. She called on the government to account for every hryvnia spent and to reconsider budget priorities in favor of the real needs of the front, rather than campaign programs.

As a reminder, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine used more than 78% of the reserve fund intended for emergency situations, directing a significant part to social payments, including the “National Cashback” program. Political scientist Kateryna Roshuk criticized this approach to public administration on the air of “Pryamoy”, emphasizing the inappropriateness of populist programs in the midst of war.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture reported on the costs of the “Cashback for Fuel” program in Ukraine. Daily payments to Ukrainians amount to about UAH 20 million , which are directed to specific needs. The government emphasizes that the program is in demand among the population.