You're reading: Yatsenyuk: Defense spending in Ukraine won’t be cut

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said that his government isn't going to cut defense spending.

“This year we have allocated almost UAH 100 billion on funding of the Defense Ministry due to the efforts of the Finance Minister. We won’t decrease the spending to fund the ministry,” he said at a meeting of the Cabinet in Kyiv on Aug. 28.

Yatsenyuk noted the necessity of the reforming the Ukrainian Armed Force, especially to increase the number of contract and professional soldiers in the army.

“Peace won’t be presented to anyone on a silver platter. Peace must be fought for, and a strong Ukrainian Armed Forces are the guarantee of peace and stability in Ukraine,” Yatsenyuk said.

According to him, one of the most relevant tasks for the country now is “for Ukraine to joint NATO de facto, before the actual official joining with NATO.”

“It means that the Ukrainian Armed Forces must be completely in line with all of the logistics and standards of NATO member states, and Ukrainian servicemen should have corresponding skills and training,” Yatseniuk added.

In turn, Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak said that the number of contract soldiers in the army was growing.