Inside the walls of the Verkhovna Rada, an event took place that could radically change the logistics of Ukraine's defense. The parliament has unblocked the mechanism for using European Union financial assistance to directly fund the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This decision removes administrative barriers that have hindered the operational expenditure of funds.

Direct Financing from the West

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed that the key outcome of the parliament's work was the permission to timely attract EU funds. Now, these resources will be directed towards critically important tasks: paying salaries to military personnel, as well as the procurement, modernization, and repair of weapons and ammunition.

Official Kyiv emphasizes that the main goal is to maintain the current pace of the Defense Forces' transformation and prevent pauses in supply. As Fedorov noted, the Ukrainian army is currently undergoing the most massive restructuring in all years of independence.

Record Figures and Scale of Tasks

The financial unblocking was the final note to the adoption of a massive budget. On June 10, the Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading draft law No. 15224, which increased funding for the security and defense sector by 1.56 trillion hryvnias. Thanks to this document, the country's total defense spending reached a record 4.4 trillion hryvnias.

The structure of these expenditures looks as follows:

  • 2.3 trillion hryvnias are allocated for the procurement of weapons and military equipment.
  • More than 1.45 trillion hryvnias are directed towards paying salaries to military personnel.

The main source covering these expenditures is financial assistance from the European Union.

Parliamentary Marathon and Final Stage

The approval process did not go smoothly. During the session in the Rada, seven draft resolutions were rejected, which proposed to cancel the decision to introduce changes to the State Budget. Deputies voted to maintain the course on strengthening defense.

Now the draft law is on the home stretch. To enter into force, the document must be signed by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After this, the mechanism of direct financing will work at full capacity, allowing for an operational response to requests from the front.