Against the backdrop of the state budget deficit, Ukraine will guarantee full and timely funding for pensions and the salaries of doctors and teachers, while non-critical expenditures may be suspended until funds are received from international partners. Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhii Koretskyi said this in an interview with the "United News" telethon, UNN reports.
Details
According to the head of government, social payments remain one of the state's unconditional priorities even amid the current difficult financial situation.
Despite the state budget deficit, all social expenditures—pensions and the salaries of doctors and teachers—must be funded on time and in full. We have no other option
At the same time, the prime minister warned that expenditures that are not primary or critical would be suspended by the government until Ukraine receives the necessary external financing.
Government awaits partners' money
Koretskyi said that by October 15, the government must fulfill all the decisions necessary to receive the promised international financial assistance. At the same time, some of the conditions depend on the Verkhovna Rada, so the prime minister called on lawmakers to support the necessary bills regardless of their political affiliation.
We must act proactively, be flexible, and make decisions quickly, assessing every step by a single criterion: does it lead to the survival of the state, the nation, and our sovereignty? If it does, everything else is irrelevant—we must take action and do it
Koretskyi separately assured that payments to Ukrainian service members must also be made in full.
He named a sharp increase in the production of interceptor drones as one of the government's key tasks. Particular attention is planned to be devoted to systems capable of countering Russian jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.
All government bodies without exception are focused on this issue
According to him, the government is simplifying requirements for manufacturers, reducing bureaucratic procedures, and expanding financial support through lending mechanisms in order to increase interceptor production as quickly as possible.
Money for the winter
A significant part of the interview concerned the coming winter. Koretskyi said that Ukraine is entering it better prepared than last year. Over the past year, additional generating capacity has been built in the country, more critical facilities have received backup power, stocks of equipment and spare parts, as well as the number of repair crews and vehicles, have increased, and some critical infrastructure has received additional protection.
At the same time, the prime minister acknowledged that Russia has also increased its capacity to attack Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
However, unfortunately, the enemy has also improved. This includes jet-powered "Shaheds" and the accumulation of ballistic weapons and missiles for the winter. It certainly will not be easy, but we have no other option than to withstand it
Ukraine has also appealed to its European partners to be prepared to provide assistance in the event of large-scale destruction of energy and other critical infrastructure. This includes, in particular, the deployment of European rescuers, specialized equipment, and emergency services.