How long Ukraine can fight war without US aid, Ukraine's Ministry responds
Photo: Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine is provided with the necessary means to conduct war for at least the first half of 2025. During this time, it is crucial to negotiate continued support from the United States, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko states in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais.
"I believe that we have enough resources, weapons, missiles, and artillery shells to resist (Russian army - ed.) at least in the first half of 2025," Marchenko said.
The Minister of Finance also noted that Ukraine will ensure sufficient budget allocations for purchasing ammunition and necessary military equipment in 2025.
"Right now, we are receiving the necessary weapons from the United States. This means that we will be well-prepared to withstand this attack at least for the first half of the year and beyond," Marchenko explained.
The Minister of Finance believes that Ukraine must use this time wisely to hold necessary negotiations with key US allies.
According to Marchenko, Kyiv must have a plan to create the right conditions for cooperation with the new US administration.
"Ukraine's natural interest is to build strong trust for cooperation. I think this should be a priority strategy for both Ukraine and Europe. We want to build good relations. Of course, attitudes may change. To withstand this uncertainty, we need to use the time correctly and be able to negotiate with the new administration," Ukraine's Minister added.
Future plans
Marchenko emphasized that Ukraine must have a strong army even after the war ends.
Ukraine's Minister noted that the best guarantee would be NATO membership, which is currently impossible. "An alternative to this guarantee is a modern and strong Ukrainian army. This is the only way for us to survive in the years ahead," he said.
The Minister of Finance also pointed out that Ukraine cannot maintain such a strong army solely with its own resources. "We are currently spending over 26% of our GDP on the military campaign. This is, of course, because we are in the midst of a war. But we have suffered many losses, and we need to replace equipment," he added.
Marchenko stated that after the full-scale war, significant resources will be needed to prevent Russia from even thinking about potential aggression against Ukraine. To maintain such a strong army, commitments to supply necessary weapons, access to missiles, and modern air defense systems are needed to protect the country. "Because in the future, there could be attacks on our infrastructure by Russia," he explained.
"I speak from my position, from the Ministry of Finance. I am not involved in high-level discussions on this matter. In any case, Ukraine must have a strong army capable of resisting aggression," Marchenko concluded.
Earlier, the Ministry of Finance stated that tax revenues to the budget and nearly half of the $50 billion from the G7 countries, which will be provided under Russian assets, will ensure all critical needs of Ukraine's Defense Forces in 2025.
