Russia’s increase in the military budget by tens of per cent is clear evidence that Putin is seeking not negotiations, but a continuation of the war. This was stated by Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chairman of the Kyiv Security Forum and Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2014 to 2016, during an appearance on the British Times Radio.
‘Last year, war criminal Putin increased Russia’s military budget by 30 per cent. Next year, he is likely to increase it by 50 per cent. This clearly demonstrates his true intentions – he is not seeking negotiations; he is seeking to continue the war,’ noted KSF Chairman.
Yatsenyuk emphasised that the US administration’s lifting of sanctions effectively provides the Kremlin with additional resources to fund the war. “He has the resources to fund the war, while we do not,” the former prime minister stressed.
According to Yatsenyuk, Ukraine needs to ramp up military production, increase the output of interceptor drones and begin manufacturing ballistic missiles. “Iran has ballistic missiles, despite decades of sanctions. North Korea has them too, despite UN Security Council sanctions. But Ukrainians do not. Why do we not have the technology to produce Ukrainian ballistic missiles – to strike not the arrow, but the archer: legitimate Russian military targets?” Yatsenyuk remarked.