Blocking of financing of the State Defense Order threatens national security and defense of Ukraine – Oleksander Turchynov

For the country, which for more than two years counteracts the military aggression of the Russian Federation, delay in financing of the State Defense Order is unacceptable, since it threatens national security and defense of our country. This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksander Turchynov.

According to him, financing of production of new weapons and military equipment has not been unblocked yet, as well as preparation of production capacities for the implementation of important military-technical projects.

"This situation occurred due to the fact that a significant part of funding of the State Defense Order in the budget for 2016 is to be allocated from a special fund, which, in its turn, must be filled up through confiscation of money means, which have been stolen from the Ukrainian people by former President Yanukovych and his surrounding", - Mr. Turchynov said, adding that this money (over $1,5 bln) has been arrested and is on the accounts in Ukrainian banks.

NSDC Secretary of Ukraine stressed that over the past six months, Parliament wasn't able to make a decision "either to ensure the legislative provision of absentia conviction of the fugitive criminals, nor of the confiscation and transfer to the budget of arrested multi-billion financial resources". "Further delay in the financing of defense programs threatens national security and defense of the country", - he emphasized.

"Because of the lack of responsibility and political will of the Ukrainian parliamentarians to provide the legal mechanism of filling the special fund of the budget with the arrested financial resources, we have to turn to the newly elected Cabinet of Ministers with a demand to urgently amend the State Budget for 2016 regarding the reallocation of resources and financing of defense programs exclusively from the general fund of the State Budget", - Mr. Turchynov said. According to him, the respective appeal to the Government concerning the introduction of such changes has been already prepared by the Staff of NSDC of Ukraine.