Zelensky's ex-adviser called on Ukraine to transition to a completely military economy

Ukraine will have to take radical measures to maintain its defense capability, said former adviser to Vladimir Zelensky Oleg Ustenko.

“This is very painful, but then we must admit that we are moving into a completely military economy. Everything is for the army, and the rest should simply be carried out on a residual basis,” the Ukrainian publication UNIAN quotes him as saying.

According to Ustenko, Kiev is faced with the task of increasing the monetary support of military personnel, for which it is necessary to look for internal reserves. The ex-official noted that the reduction may affect budget salaries and capital expenditures, but this will not be enough. In this regard, he advocated an audit and revision of the defense budget.

Earlier, Zelensky, during a conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, called the Ukrainian budget deficit “cosmic”. According to him, despite the scale of the problem, Kyiv hopes to find some solution.