Ukraine secured with funds and arms until mid‑2025, says minister

"We have enough funds, weapons, and artillery and missile ammunition to withstand at least until the first half of 2025," Marchenko said in an interview with the French newspaper.

The minister emphasized that Ukraine must wisely use this time for negotiations with key allies, especially the US. He also noted that Donald Trump's presidency could pose a challenge for Ukraine.

According to the minister, Kyiv needs "very clear security guarantees", which are hard to imagine outside NATO because the alternative to such a solution is having a very modern and strong army.

"We are not able to maintain such a strong army using only our own resources. Currently, we are spending over 26% of our GDP on defense," the Ukrainian minister noted. He added that after the war, the country will need modern weaponry to deter Russia.

As the minister stated, in November, Russia lost a record number of soldiers on the front, yet "it still tries to advance." According to his estimates, the Ukrainian government plans to allocate around a billion dollars in 2024 for building fortifications and emphasizes the production of drones, which play a key role in the war with Russia.