“Today, I instructed the Minister of Defense to increase the volume of additional payments to the servicemen on the touch line — up to 6 thousand hryvnias. And to the servicemen on the second line — up to 2.4 thousand hryvnias,” Petro Poroshenko informed.
“I am confident that we should create financial motivation for the Ukrainian servicemen to be reliably protected. Today, we must spend money of Ukrainian taxpayers, first of all, to ensure reliable defense capacity,” the President said.
The Head of State emphasized that today, he couldn’t but come to the place where “the best of the best, the bravest and the strongest people defend our country from the Russian aggression”.
“Obviously, it is the most important place where we must congratulate and express gratitude. In a few hours, the entire Ukraine will meet the year of 2017 with dreams and hopes, and forget all problems for a moment. We owe to the Armed Forces, National Guard, border guards, Security Service and other security structures for the opportunity to celebrate New Year and Christmas peacefully,” the President said.
Petro Poroshenko emphasized that he had come today to Mariupol to express deep respect and gratitude to the Ukrainian warriors. “From all our fellow countrymen, from the state. And from me personally. Not only from the President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief, but also from the Ukrainian-citizen, from husband and son, from father of four children and grandfather of two grandsons,” he said.
“We are dealing with the enemy, which has nothing sacred, even Christmas. Although the intensity of fire has been reduced, silence agreed in Minsk hasn’t been achieved,” the President noted.
Petro Poroshenko noted that in 2016, 211 AFU servicemen gave life for peace and freedom of our state defending it from the aggressor.
The attendees honored their memory with a moment of silence.
The President particularly emphasized that the enhancement of defense capacity had been carried out without mobilization in 2016. “The fourth, fifth and sixth waves have been demobilized. Ukrainian warriors came home to their relatives and friends and celebrate New Year at home. Instead of the seventh, eighth and ninth waves, we have concluded almost 70 thousand contracts with volunteers. Due to the Minsk agreements, we have bought time to equip and re-equip the army,” he said.
Petro Poroshenko also noted that Ukraine spent 5% of GDP for the security and defense sector.
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