Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Says Current Army Budget Largest In Country's History

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2020) The Ukrainian army's budget is currently the largest it has been in the country's history, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday, adding that he will not allow for any funds to be reduced despite the ongoing coronavirus disease pandemic.

"Only a modern and capable army can guarantee peace and security. In 2020, at the time of #COVID19, the budget for the army not only didn't decrease, but also became the largest in the history of Ukraine. I won't allow any reduction of funds for our army -even by a coin," Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.

Then-Ukrainian Defense Minister Andrii Zagorodniuk, during the presentation of the country's state budget past November, said that funding for defense and security in 2020 would account for 5.45 percent of the country's GDP, totaling 245.8 billion hryvnia ($8.6 billion).

Earlier in October, representatives from the United Kingdom and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding on enhanced defense cooperation that secured Kiev 1.25 billion Pounds ($1.62 billion) in funding.