Ukraine's Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak has stated the need for additional funding for the Ukrainian defense authority, in particular Hr 7 billion for the Armed Forces, in the current year.
“The national budget for 2016 foresees funding for the defense sector in the amount of Hr 55.6 billion, which accounts for 2.4 percent of GDP. But the real situation with security in Ukraine, on the borders, requires the issue of at least Hr 7 billion more for the Defense Ministry,” he said at a meeting of the Reforms Committee in Kyiv.
The minister noted there is the risk of Hr 6.5 billion underfunding in the defense sector by the end of the year.
“Under these conditions our financial resources will be a mere 2 percent of GDP, which is below 3 percent of GDP set by law for defense. I would like to remind that the defense budget in all countries of the world, which suffered war or fighting, ranged from 4 percent to 5 percent of GDP,” the minister stressed.
