Zelenskyy called for EU funds to be directed toward Ukraine's defense
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that it is important to direct the funds that Europe is allocating to Ukraine primarily toward domestic defense production. According to him, Ukrainian weapons are often cheaper than their foreign counterparts, so Kyiv must strive to ensure that aid from its partners is used as effectively as possible within Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for European funds to be directed toward defense projects and production in Ukraine. The head of state made this statement during a meeting with media representatives in Belgrade.
Zelenskyy thanked European leaders for their decision to provide financial support to Ukraine. Specifically, this refers to aid amounting to 90 billion euros. “I am grateful to the leaders who, no matter how difficult it may be, nevertheless found a way to support Ukraine with these funds. This is a matter of survival for us,” the president said.
At the same time, he emphasized the importance of using these funds wisely. According to Zelenskyy, as much of the aid as possible should remain in Ukraine and be directed toward developing the country’s own defense industry. “It’s important to channel all this money in the right direction so that as much of it as possible is used within Ukraine, because Ukraine is fighting, and the equipment we produce here for defense and combat is cheaper than in other countries. And here we must fight for every kopeck, every single day,” the head of state noted.
Zelenskyy also explained that Ukraine cannot spend as much on the war as Russia does. “Ukraine does not have—and will not have—the kind of funds that Russia is using for the war. We have what we need thanks to European aid and assistance from other countries,” the president said.
Separately, Zelenskyy called on partners to strengthen sanctions against Russia. In his view, this is necessary to force Moscow to end the war.
The president emphasized that Ukraine particularly needs restrictions on Russian weapons and the components used to manufacture them. “We are grateful for all 21 packages, but that is not enough. We are raising the issue of what is most important for Ukraine today—defending against ballistic missiles—and hundreds, thousands of components in Russian ballistic missiles come from various countries, from nearly every continent, including our close partners,” Zelenskyy noted.
According to him, these components ultimately end up in Russian missiles used to strike Ukraine. “These components arrive, and then they are fired at people—at our people—and children, civilians, and, of course, soldiers are killed. That is why imposing sanctions on Russian weapons and on the supply of these components is the top priority,” the head of state emphasized.
In addition, Zelenskyy called for tightening restrictions on the Russian energy sector. He stressed that Russia earns hundreds of billions of dollars from the energy sector and uses these funds to continue the war. Therefore, according to the president, sanctions pressure must target not only Russian weapons and their components but also the sources of revenue that allow the Kremlin to finance the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made this statement during a meeting with media representatives in Belgrade.
