Olena Buturlim10:45, 11.08.24
In Kyiv, they claim that delays in the supply of weapons have led to an increase in the budget deficit.
The Minister of Finance of Ukraine, Serhiy Marchenko, called on the Western allies to speed up the payment of the loan in the amount of 50 billion dollars . In Kyiv, they claim that delays in arms deliveries have led to an increase in the budget deficit, due to which Ukraine is forced to look for money to maintain the army, writes the Financial Times with reference to the minister’s comment.
He stressed that the slow supply of weapons, especially from the United States, has led to a $12 billion increase in military spending. This has forced the country to record a deficit that other government officials estimate will be just under a quarter of GDP this year, or $43.5 billion.
Direct US military aid in the amount of $27 billion was approved by Congress in April this year, but its allocation is slow: “We still feel a lack of the necessary weapons, ammunition and shells,” Marchenko emphasizes.Video of the day
According to him, this means that the country “will not have enough money to pay the salaries of our military.” The minister added that aid delays meant that salary packages reserved for the end of 2024 were used to “purchase the necessary arms and ammunition” in early 2024.
The journalists emphasize that the Western allies do not directly finance the salaries of the Ukrainian army. However, the absence of American weapons and the simultaneous increase in military spending means that Kyiv will have to finance the war through spending cuts, selling state assets and raising taxes.
The Finance Minister said that the country’s dire financial situation underscores the need for the US and other countries to pledge more aid and accelerate progress on the $50 billion loan promised by G7 leaders.
(C)UNIAN 2024
Weapons are promised, not delivered………………….
As much as I sympathize with Ukraine and wish the war would end in their favor as soon as possible, I don’t appreciate them playing a “blame” game with those who have supported Ukraine up until now.
Yes, promises were made, not all of them were kept, some had significant delays, but what will ‘blaming’ them accomplish now?
Makes Serhiy Marchenko look like an entitled person, who’s almost demanding / expecting foreign aid – he shouldn’t forget that all of this is happening voluntarely.
Yes, there are very good reasons to support Ukraine, self interest of other nations included, but no one has any obligations to actually do it.
I would have wished for more subtlety in this regard.
“no one has any obligations to actually do it.”
Wrong. Ukraine was tricked by the Budapest Memorandum signatories into giving up its nuclear deterrent in return for bogus security guarantees.
I shall remind you that we had signed the Budapest Memorandum. We forced Ukraine to surrender their nukes, while Ukraine had the third-largest nuclear arsenal. I shall remind you of the dire consequences for the entire free world if Ukraine should lose.
Washington has not been a reliable partner, just like most European countries. Their fear, cowardice, lethargy, and restrictions on Ukraine has dragged this war out and continues to drag it out. Any delays whatsoever causes human lives and tragedies every day. EVERY DAY!
It’s easy for you to criticize the critics while you have electric power 24/7 and no drones or missiles coming towards your city.
“I don’t appreciate them playing a “blame” game”
Wouldn’t someone have the right, I want to say the duty to blame when:
– Some knowingly slow down the supply of weapons for 2 years (These criticisms even come from allies who have repeatedly said that we must do more to help Ukraine)
– Some blocked aid to Ukraine on Capitol Hill for months. Putting Ukraine on the back foot in 2024!
– Some limit the range of action of the Ukrainian army, preventing it from ending this war more quickly.
– Some implement sanctions in slow motion so as not to crash the Russian economy.
– Some continue to want to put the criminal Nazis and Ukraine on an equal footing at the negotiating table.
– Some people like you who, through their comments, completely lack discernment about the issues at stake in this war where the destiny of a country of more than 40 million people is at stake. Get a little perspective, good god! Ukraine is fighting for freedom in Europe and the world in general. I will not recall the memorandum which alone is a weighty element to take into account on what binds the signatories of the treaty in duty and in law.
I find the Ukrainians courageous but their stoicism in the face of sometimes deplorable support is even more remarkable.
More…
– Some allies provide (leak) attack plans to the enemy
– Some Western companies continue to do business that kills with the Kremlin Nazis (Shahed, missiles component)
– Your main ally refuses to allow you to come to NATO and only offers a standard “Israel” type project as a security guarantee.
Yes, everything gives Ukraine the right to blame everyone who does not do everything to stop this war by allowing Ukraine to emerge from it in the best possible way.
ok for the Budapest memorandum. however Ukraine which had a fascist and threatening neighbor made many mistakes or had many negligences, such as not producing its own munitions in this very dangerous context and that it could not ignore since it was invaded in 2014…. that it also saw the Russian actions in Georgia etc… it is not itself exempt from reproach to make itself. it also has characteristics (corruption) that complicate its military economic and political relations.
secondly, Ukraine is not the only problem to weigh in the balance… even if it is important painful for Ukraine for the West and for democracies.
for sanctions, the Ukrainians also need “solid” partners who are not too weakened and put in difficulty by their own sanctions. what is not perfect nevertheless has a certain value
in your reasoning/your perception, the current situation which is constrained and painful, you judge it as being a degraded situation whereas it is perhaps an optimum situation or very close to it.
it is not a confrontation between just Ukraine and Russia (which Ukraine would have already lost) the confrontation takes place under the gaze of a certain number of actors like China which has interests contrary to those of Ukraine and international law… so the alternative is what the other actors can tolerate over time…
for the situation to finally shift into a more positive, constructive, fair and humane dimension, probably the adversaries need to synchronize a certain number of renunciations…
without going into the details of things, in the search for a positive outcome to this conflict the remedy must not be worse than the disease.
Ukrainians are racing, they have their “nose to the grindstone”, they have a partial vision, we can’t blame them, in their place we would react the same way.
as the battle of Kursk currently shows, the straight line is not necessarily the shortest path to a good resolution of the conflict. you have to know how to make detours and take time
1. Ukraine needs to increase their internal taxes about which they have been dithering for months similar to their dithering for months on increasing their military draft.
2. This financial issue should be Europe’s problem not the United States. They are physically much closer, are nearly as wealthy as the US and are not $35 trillion in debt with an annual deficit of up to another $4 trillion per year.
3. Wake up Europe! The United States is broke, our social security and medicare systems are approaching insolvency, the free ride is over. Regardless of who wins in November, Europe’s problems will take a seat in the backrow of US concerns as US limited resources will be pivoting increasing toward China.
4. All the Nato free loaders should pay the hundreds and hundreds of billions they saved on not funding their military over the last 30 years into actually supporting Ukraine with more than hot air. I am talking to you Germany, Italy, Spain, Canada etc. Russia only invaded because of the military and diplomatic weakness of Europe.