One of the topics that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed during bilateral meetings in Davos was the issue of defense spending for 2025. It is essential to talk to each leader to ensure that the spending level this year is no less than last year's, stated Igor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the President's Office.
"During the bilateral meetings with the President of Ukraine, one of the questions that arose at each meeting was, without a doubt, the defense spending, support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and the supply of weaponry this year. We had quite good figures for 2024, as European countries funded the commitments outlined in the relevant security guarantee agreements. We need to discuss with each leader to ensure that no lesser amount of spending is secured for 2025," Zhovkva said during a national telethon on Saturday.
According to him, the issue lies in the fact that some European countries have not yet approved their budgets for the current year, particularly Germany, France, and Spain.
"But this does not mean that assistance to Ukraine should cease. Therefore, in meetings with each of the leaders of these and other countries, the President certainly emphasized the need to maintain the current level of military aid funding for Ukraine," Zhovkva noted.
He also mentioned that in Davos, discussions at every meeting focused on increasing investments from these countries in the production of relevant weaponry in Ukraine, primarily concerning the manufacturing of long-range drones and other Ukrainian products.
The Deputy Head of the President's Office reminded that last year the "Danish model" of financing production started to operate quite successfully.
"Several state leaders were to be convinced of how this works, what systems are being produced, and how these systems meet the objectives set for destroying the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation. Therefore, this was also discussed. And it was mentioned that other countries should be involved in such a model," Zhovkva said.